Karan Johar on how filmmakers navigate political landscape: ‘We are sensitive but not afraid’

From Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani to Gadar 2, the box office has witnessed a resurgence, boldly declaring the triumphant return of big screen cinema. As filmmakers and audiences rejoice in this post-pandemic world, there is a sense of limitation in the type of cinema being taken up by filmmakers and the subjects that are clearly avoided.

At Express Adda, which was organised on Monday, The Indian Express film critic Shubhra Gupta asked Karan whether the current political climate of the country has instilled fear within filmmakers. In response, the filmmaker denied such apprehension and emphasised that they are “sensitive but not afraid”. He said, “At the end of the day, you have to make the film you believe in. Constraints have always been there. There have been many times when you wanted to make films on subjects that perhaps your country was sensitive to. And as filmmakers, who have a legal department in every office, who will tell you not to go down this path or go down this path. So, there is check and balancing happening.”

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He added, “I don’t think there is any fear. Creative people aren’t afraid. They are not afraid to tell the stories that they want to. They will choose the story they want to to keep the environment around the film’s release to not be sensationalised. We are sensitive, but we aren’t afraid.”

Karan Johar’s most recent cinematic offering Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, a romantic comedy starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, garnered much praise for its political correctness while keeping the filmmaker’s signature opulence intact. The film has notched an impressive box office collection of over Rs 145 crore in India till date.