‘You lose a parent and you gain a god’

Q: You've decided to cancel the premiere of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.

Yes. Mumbai has recently been through a ghastly period. I've stuck to my release date. But to celebrate so soon after the tragedy seemed insensitive. But I'm very excited that one of Mumbai's oldest and most revered theatres, Metro, will re-open with KANK. For me it's an emotional happening. Metro has always been my favourite cinema hall. That's where I became passionate about cinema, watching the cinema of Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra and Sooraj R. Barjatya. I attended the premiere of Yash Uncle's Darr, Lamhe and Chandni at Metro and also of Raj Kapoor's last work, Henna. For Metro to open with my film is a proud and nostalgic moment.

Q: Tell us about your release plans.

It's about 900 prints the world over. It's much more than K3G. But that's because the format of release is totally different now…the advent of multiplexes and the increase in audiences have changed the scenario since K3G and Kal Ho Na Ho.

Q: How was the first full screening of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, held on July 30?

I'm too close to the film to comment on it. It was screened only for the cast and crew. I was so nervous I felt like throwing up the whole day. It was very stressful.

A day earlier I had done my technical viewing. But nothing like the screening on July 30. A hundred people watched it. I realised, this was it. There was no going back. I've never felt this way about any of my films. I supposed it's age. The more successful you are, the more you've to live up to expectations. I've never been so stressed about any of my films.

Q: And what was the reaction?

The feedback was very encouraging. Of course, since it was a cast-and-crew screening everyone wanted to love the film. It was a minor hurdle, and I think I crossed it.

Q: Mr Bachchan thinks KANK is glorious.

I was very moved by everyone's reaction. He sent me a letter which I've framed in my office. Amit Uncle is a legend and a family friend. Shah Rukh who in a way launched me, and Aditya Chopra who has taught me filmmaking, all have a high opinion of KANK. I was an assistant to Adi and his opinion matters a lot. I remain his assistant at heart. For me he's like the ISI stamp...not that the private screening means anything in the larger interest. And, yes, like all directors I'd say I can change a few things in KANK, but I can't.

Q: It's felt this time you've swerved into complex topics like adultery, extra-marital relationships, etc.

I think these pre-release notions make the film sound a tad frivolous. When you see the film you'll know it's like my other films in the sense that it's about human relationships. The difference this time comes in the colour of my characters. Earlier my people lived in the white zone painted by circumstances. In mainstream cinema we tend to look at characters as saints or devils. In KANK the characters live in the grey area. My hero in KANK is flawed. He does wrong. But owns up to it. He's a real character.

Q: Do you think the audience would like the real in your film?

The audience has always been more real than us filmmakers. We made them escape into never-land. Recent successes prove that audiences are willing to accept the unconventional — Black, Rang De Basanti…so many thought-provoking films have made it at the box-office. The audience has evolved. But I don't know if the average filmmaker has. The audience has made it clear they love candy and floss, bubble and the gham (give or take khushi). They're more than willing to accept reality that bites.

Q: After seeing KANK Javed Akhtar wonders how you know so much about marital disharmony!

It's simple. Stand at a distance from any matter and you can see it better. I'm not married. But I'm surrounded by married couples and their problems.

Q: Is this the film where you've made the least mistakes?

No filmmaker knowingly makes mistakes. Sometimes a director's perception fails to match his screenplay. KANK is the one film that I made without any compromises, without playing to the gallery. I didn't allow the mind to operate over the heart. KANK is all heart. The film might open up debates. But this is what I wanted to make. I've been accused of clever commercial calculations in the past, and I don't dispute that. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... definitely had a lot of playing to the gallery. But when I did K3G there was a lot of performance anxiety. That's died down with age and maturity. With KANK I've grown up. I'm not saying it's a good or bad film. I'm just saying I've evolved as a filmmaker. It's a sign of a new phase.

Q: So are you saying you've completely swerved away from the Karan Johar style?

I'm not saying that at all. For heaven's sake, I do have a Bhangra and a disco in KANK. Every filmmaker has his own stamp. Just as you can't imagine a Yash Chopra film without the chiffon saris, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's films without the visual opulence, or Nasir Hussain's films without their elaborate musical numbers, bad or good, I came with my Bhangra.

Q: Some people say KANK is inspired by the Robert De Niro-Meryl Streep romance, Falling In Love?

The only motif common to both romances is the railway station. Otherwise there's no similarity between the two. Not a single twist is common. My writer Shibani Bathija is very talented. I was fascinated by this subject. We sat and wrote it together. Her narrative work is exceptional. Earlier she wrote a wonderful story in Fanaa. I think Fanaa was beautifully directed by Kunal Kohli.

Q: Do you foresee embarrassing comparisons among the actors in KANK?

It's only the critics who compare performances, not audiences. From audiences there's no comparison, only appreciation. In my film audiences love everyone from Amitabh to Shah Rukh to Abhishek.... I don't know how far I've succeeded in directing the actors. But they've all done way better than how I had written the roles. Full credit to all of them. I think the actors make KANK. I'm a distant second.

Q: Abhishek is new to your cinema.

I was taken back to those filmy birthday parties when I was seven and he was three. The vibes on the sets with Abhishek was like the song, Where's the party tonight. Abhishek is a child-man. And that's what he plays in KANK.

Q: There were speculations about fights among actors in New York.

All we fought was the cold weather. No one fought with each other. For heaven's sake, there're so many important wars being fought. Why focus on non-existent wars? The Rani-Preity war was totally over-blown. Once I was eating Chinese food with them when a journalist called to ask about their cold war. I'm not saying they are the Pointer Sisters. They don't live in each other's courtyard. But they share a healthy rapport.

Q: I believe it was traumatic in NY?

We faced every possible crisis, from bad weather to over-budget schedules to location crisis…I fought a battle and now it feels like ceasefire. But I might again shoot in NY if the city creeps into my narrative. It's ironical, but we shot in a horizontal (70 mm) format in a city that's eminently vertical. Seriously, I love its energy and verve. I feel there's an underlining sadness in NY…just like in my characters. You can feel the buzz of melancholy in NY, as you did in the characters in Kal Ho Na Ho and KANK. I went back to NY again thinking we were now familiar with the city. Little did we know. KANK is the most traumatic film of my career. It was like hell and back.We shot Kal Ho Na Ho in July and August which is a relatively less busy time in NY. KANK we shot during September-December which is peak season.

Q: Would you say your father Yash Johar's absence added to your woes?

Totally. He was a born crisis manager. Crises used to get him all wired up. He loved that pat on his back after he solved it. Each time I got into a crisis during KANK I felt his hand on my shoulder. I speak to him all the time. You lose a parent and you gain a god. My father is my God.

Q: Your last thoughts?

I've always received my audiences' love. When they say they're dying to see my work I feel they're referring to another Karan Johar. I've been given that love without asking for it. I hope it continues.