Karan Johar says impossible to make multi-starrer like K3G today: ‘Remuneration levels will go crazy… they will be unaffordable’

Karan Johar believes that today’s actors are surrounded by layers of advisory boards. From managers and family members to social media voices which often prevent them from taking creative risks or committing to ensemble films.

By: Entertainment Desk

Mumbai | June 10, 2025 03:15 PM IST

3 min read

Karan Johar says he can't make a star-studded film like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in today's Bollywood.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is remembered as much for its grandeur as it is for its ensemble cast. Bringing together megastars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Kajol, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor, and Farida Jalal in a single frame was no small feat, and it’s a testament to the kind of fan frenzy the film stirred then, and continues to stir even now. In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, director Karan Johar opened up about how assembling such a star-studded cast would be nearly impossible in today’s times.

“It is very difficult,” Johar admitted. “The fact that you have the film of the year as War 2 with Hrithik Roshan and Junior NTR headlining the project — that’s bang for the bucks. You’ve got two of the biggest stars from different film industries. It’s like beyond a wish list to anyone. That’s like wow. To bring two lead actors and actresses together in one film is just difficult today.” Explaining why, he added, “You are fighting so many people. Firstly, actors themselves have their own strategies, ideologies, and thoughts. Then there are people advising them, they are telling them this and that.”

Also Read | Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham: Why Karan Johar called the multi-starrer ‘the single biggest slap in my face’

Johar recalled how different things were back in the early 2000s, especially when it came to how actors approached projects. “In those days, no one thought so much. When Shah Rukh said yes to K3G, he didn’t even read the script. He said, ‘Yaar, karni hai.’ He was aware of the other actors, but he was like, ‘Yeh Karan ki film hai, karni hai.’ Shah Rukh still has that way of approaching a film. If he likes the person, he will do the film. But today, people are over-analysing, over-thinking, over-expecting, over box-officing — and therefore, not over-achieving.”

He also spoke candidly about the shift in industry dynamics, noting how even people close to him don’t always heed his advice. “I keep telling them about this but they still don’t listen. Even if they listen to me, they go back to their management, to their individual advisors, to their family members, to their partners. So the advisory chamber has expanded. You have social media also telling you what to think.” Johar believes this information overload is clouding conviction. “Good old-fashioned conviction needs to come back — where all of us take decisions on the go and don’t overthink it. We don’t see what is our part… ‘I have only this much… that one has that much… should I do this… should I do that?’ Multi-starrers used to be so easy.” And then there’s the economics. “Today, firstly, the remuneration levels will go crazy, they all will be unaffordable. Everyone wants an arm and a leg, without realizing that the box office is the tough and challenging part of our existence. We need to come together to sort this situation out. We need to head towards a purple patch, and right now, the patch is far from purple.”

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