How do you deal with the accusations of being elitist, working largely with stars or those who come from a family with pedigree?(Thank Goodness someone is asking this !)
In the past, i've taken chances but it's not that I get any credit for that. Suddenly this nepotism' tag has been given to me.Yes, you shouted of the rooftops how nepotism is better!- and KJo 'took chances'... LMAO! When I cast Varun, nobody else knew who he was or what was happening. I knew him before he was around. I saw potential in him.Masny knew. Difference is, all industry knew DD and his son and you MADE sure EVERYONE in India knew- whether he's that great of an actor or pushed with star-vehicle roles..it's for another discussion.
That's what also happened with Siddharth, he's not from the movies.And Sid is so bad it almost looks like you chose him to show how ALL non star kids are crappy...Unlike today, nobody had even heard of Alia Bhatt, it was not that she was popular before. She was in all FF and other awards, filmed in 2013, 2014 and so on, I remember noticing her after a RK-Anushka shot. So she was in industry, mingling, before hitting 15 -and I see many star kids way before debuting being shown.Today's star kids are way more famous before their first films. Just because they are famous doesn't mean they are good at acting.Most are not even decent.
If I cast Tara Sutaria, nobody will say anything (If she is good, of course not), but if I take Ananya Pandey, I will be accused of nepotism (Because you yourself declared nepo kids to have better qualities than outsiders- many times.So people know you'd chose them over talented actors, just cause their parents are famous).
Has there been any self-reflection?(Lol, you are smart, reporter, pushing him)
I don't feel I should be accountable to anyone for my decisions.Nope, but don't pretend you're some equal opportunity job giver.You love your starkids. Stop trying to twist it. I'm making films and casting actors and I'm in a business. And only recently, because you saw your movies aren't that greatly received with JUST star kids, you mixed it, by giving bit roles to Anushka et al. But you'd do a whole star kid movie if you thought audievce would buy it. Once your 'stable' increases, I can see that happening- whole multi star cast of nepo kids. If I feel that something is a good commercial decision I'll do it, I'm in the business.And business was bad recently, thus you started taking outsiders (besides SRK KAJOL) in movies few years back If I think I need a star, I will cast one. If I need a new face, I will take a newcomer.
But a creative industry owes its audience to scout for the best possible talent that's not exclusively passed down the gene pool (exactly, so let's not pretend just cause their parents are stars thery are good actors), from a star parent to a superstar son.
It's not that we haven't. We widen our spectrum with all kinds of actors and roles, why have I become responsible for this movement?Not responsible, you're just trying hard to hold the nepo stable 'well and growing'. I'm happy for someone else to make them stars but I need to make films that are viable to me and make sense to me and I'm in the business of commerce and art. So he admits that no one but him is pushing for star kids to become stars in movies. Uff..
I have to do what is sensible. I mean, I'm not running an NGO, you're saying that I have a creative obligation and yes, there is. In that process, I will try not to cast a bad actor. Cmon, all nepo kids are crap at beginning. And even you've noticed Karan, thus you now 'train' them in your 'Academy'- your own words 3 years back!- before launching them,...so they are at least half-decent ... or not as disastruously bad as before.
If I believe that an actor is good for a part, whether he or she is a part of the film industry is irrelevant. And let me tell you, talent doesn't survive if it isn't good. In BW it survives- and too well!! for their limited/nonexistent talent. Most of these star kids would barely get a talking part in a meritocratic movie inudstry elsewhere.
The fact that they are still around means that they are good at something, it's not that I've cast actors that have gone off the radar.Yes you did. Pushed them so much and praised them and mentioned them everywhere, PR articles included, that people are gbelieving in your PR BS and start believing these nepo kids are good actors..lol.
No, you give them a considerable amount of push despite their failings.(Thank you, good reporter!)
But it's not like they are best friends or family. I just happen(haha) to spot them, see them and nurture them.(So it's not the parents and you making a plan for their entrance in BW- as you've already explained re: Sridevi and Jhanvi? Riiight) If, tomorrow, a casting director gets me a great talent, I will definitely give them the same chance I'd give a star kid.(mhm,,maybe, if you cannot get a star kid to 'carry' your 'flah-blah movie). It's not that I'm choosing one over the other, it's what I get, it's what I'm surrounded by. If tomorrow, a genius actor is born (Right so outsider has to be GENIUS actor, yet nepo kids can be - as seen- really crappy in acting? Nice .. way of choosing the future 'talent' !), not to a fraternity background, and I feel like he or she is great for a part, obviously I will cast them.
But why is this only my burden? Why am I just the flagbearer for this? Why won't the others do it? Why can't everyone share that responsibility? (Because you said so many times you feel like you are taking it upon yourself to promote and sustain the nepo kids. And you were proud of it too, untill your big bruahaha at IIFA) Can every internet site stop writing about Suhana, Ananya, Aryan and Taimur from the time they are 2 years old? Can you stop reporting about them? Then I will say okay, well, let's give this a fair shot.(Difference is, those writing about them write to get a buck,. They are not making them movie stars. Taking a picture DOES NOT EQUAL casting them in movies,. where their job SHOULD be to ACT. GOOD.) These kids become known names and viable options for producers because you made them. So you need to stop writing. But you can't stop writing because that's what sells and I'm fully aware that there is a certain excitement built already. (selling a picture is not making them into an artist. You are changing perception.. from just a star kid to someone 'talented', 'great'.. which most nepo kids surely are NOT)
It's the same logic. When the stakes are high, we leverage that excitement and sometimes the stakes are not high, so you take new talent. About Varun and Alia, I am blamed for nepotism in retrospect. But at that time, nobody was aware that David Dhawan had a son who wanted to act or Mahesh Bhatt had a daughter that youngnobody knew as they weren't children of movie stars. Cmon! You probably cooked up the whole movie with them 2- which are PRODUCERS each - surely they both knew scripts and what movie can serve their kids best.
But no, the first thing you want to do is attack. And I would apologise but I don't need to for doing my job.(You 'doing your job is making BW the laughing stock of competitive, meritocratic movie industries, where auditions and casting on merit and quality is THE Absolute Rule. Not some flimsy excuse for casting subpar people that would then do anything for your helping their medicore selves get money and fame) If you're not happy, you need to deal with yourself and before you say that it's complicity, it totally is. You report, you make them stars and then you attack us for casting them.
How's your equation with Kangana Ranaut? Can you work with someone you've had a heavily publicised ideological conflict with?
I have no problem with her. Tomorrow, if I feel like she is really required for a film, I will work with her. No. You wouldn't.The film I was directing didn't have any scope for her, in my opinion, and no director has come to me with the desire to cast her.Lol, okay, like you would ever. I, therefore, have not cast her. No lead actor has asked for her. So if a lead actor would ask, you'd simply okay it? LMAO, what BS! Just because we had personal differences doesn't mean we are not going to work together. You will not cast her even if she's the last actress left in BW. Anurag Kashyap and I had a huge problem but he still wrote dialogues for Kurbaan. Anurag didn't publicly made you a fool, or force you to apologise. I feel you dislike Kangana WAY MORE than anyone else. I am a working filmmaker. I don't have problems or issues with anybody and I certainly don't take them to my workplace.Tell that to SRK that you kinda dumped. Or others that never get a role from you- besides crappy bit roles you know they'd refuse. If the film demands a Kangana, if a filmmaker wants her then why not? It's a commercial deal and there are no emotions involved in commerce.
Do you think you would change anything about your past films?
Actually I have a problem with all my films besides Ae Dil Hai Mushkil because that's a film I wanted to make even while knowing that the last act may get a polarised response. It's a film I wanted to make because it's personal and was cathartic for me. Ranbir (Kapoor) played me. I wanted to deal with the injury caused by a heartbreak. Wow. Speechless. So he'd dump all his movies for the mess that was ADHM? Okay.. He defo loves RK a lot.
I have issues with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Student of the Year, My Name is Khan, all of them but about Ae Dil, I wouldn't change a thing.
But it's perhaps your most problematic film so far, as far as gender dynamics are concerned...(thank you again, reporter.You are great- point out the obvious to this two faced..wannabe great director)
When I made this film, I felt that this should make Rs 100 crore. I wanted the film to make its money back, which it did and was declared a good film.(you kinda pushed it there- it barely made it..or not depends on who you read) Yes, the last track met with many polarised responses and rightfully so, but I was like she (Anushka Sharma's character Alizeh who doesn't reciprocate Ayan's feelings) didn't love him, she has to die.(the last bit was a ridiculous mess)
I wrote this character. (I can see. It was so bad!)
He loved her so crazily. She could've loved him back, why couldn't she? So she got cancer and she died. (lmao..is this a 9 year old writing or what?)
Umm, it felt like you were punishing her for not reciprocating his romantic feelings.(Exactly.Astute reporter)
Well, she got punished, I wrote it. See, a filmmaker is a God, you write, you create and you destroy.(nonsensical explanation.)
Yes, but it doesn't change the fact that it's a problematic idea to espouse.(Right?Thank you!)
How is it problematic? He was not inappropriate with her.(Pfft, you can't even see your faulty writing)
He does get physically aggressive and for the rest of the film, guilt-trips her into loving him back, which is a very unhealthy emotion to celebrate. (And should NOT be celebrated.Urrrgh!)
I mean, okay, yes in that one part, that one section, on the terrace. Right.(Wowo- did he just admit he sees the problem? ...)
I didn't look at it like that, to me he was just a puppy who was just in love and it's not like she didn't love him.(Simplistic and regressive view) She just didn't love him in the way that he wanted her to love him. About the physical aggression, I apologise.(You apologise Now! Whew! Where was your 'human sense' at that point?) That is not something I had thought of earlier and I should have.
But I am not going to be apologetic about his relentlessness and his love, because he loved her even after she was gone. He never stopped loving her. That's the way I feel about the big loves of my life. I will never stop loving them and I may not go so relentless in my pursuit of love but I believe Ayan was a lover. (So an ABUSER/STALKER is fine as logn as he is a lover. Okay.that's crazyyy..)
Anupamaa
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
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