I hope I can be part of Bahubali 2: Karan Johar

I hope I can be part of Bahubali 2'

Karan Johar talks about why he chose to present the magnum opus Bahubali in Hindi

Harshada Rege

As a producer and director, Karan Johar has more often than not, backed winning projects. When he decided to present The Lunchbox, he once again proved that he has the right instincts. Last Friday, he lent his name to the Hindi version of SS Rajamouli's historical epic Bahubali. It turned out to be a great move. The movie got rave reviews from the critics as well as audiences. Who'd have thought a dubbed film with no leading Hindi stars would get this kind of appreciation and box office figures? Well, KJo did for sure. Over to the Dharma man...

How did you come to collaborate on Bahubali?

It was Rana (Daggubati) who called me. I loved the parts that I saw back then. I feel honoured that they chose to associate with us.

Why associate with a movie at the later stage when the movie has not been greenlit by you?

I am a huge Rajamouli fan. I have seen most of his earlier movies like Eega. I was excited to bring Bahubali to the rest of the territories. I believe that every audience must get to view and experience this masterpiece. We've never had a movie made with this kind of technology, visuals and scale. We have had movie like Mughal-E-Azam made on that kind of scale, but those are hardly made these days. Rajamouli is a great filmmaker and we at Dharma are proud to be associated with a movie like Bahubali.

You presented The Lunchbox, which was a Hindi movie and a small budget one compared to this. Comment.

I know that language can be a barrier, but I also believe that a great film must be seen by everyone. Whether it's Lunchbox or Bahubali, it's about movies with great content. And that's my goal; to present good content to the audience. People often say that Lunchbox was a movie that belonged to the parallel cinema category, but to me it was a great love story. Similarly, Bahubali is a great cinematic experience. Why should we restrict ourselves? We should see a movie for what it has to offer. People who like good cinema are going to like a movie irrespective of its language. And the kind of reaction and appreciation Bahubali has received is a great sign.

Bahubali will have a sequel?

Yes, people have been asking me to what happens next. It's almost like a season break of a show where everyone is waiting to know what happens next. Those who have seen the movie can't wait to see the rest of it. That's the genius of Rajamouli.

Will you be associated with that as well?

I sincerely hope so.

On the telly front, buzz is that you will be taking over Comedy Nights. True?

No. I don't know where this rumour started from. It's absolutely untrue. I can't replace Kapil Sharma. I am not that stupid.

And there won't be another season of Koffee with Karan this year?

After my current TV commitments, I will only be able to look at my work on television next year after I finish shooting Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Shahid Kapoor and you are judging Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa together, but you haven't really worked with him despite being in the industry for these many years...

We have Shaandaar together, which Dharma is co-producing. Shahid is a superb actor and gifted dancer. He is someone who is absolutely qualified to be a judge on a dance show. Working with him has been a lot of fun. I think he made the right decision to come on board as judge for Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. People will now get to know him as a person even better. He has a great vibe and energy.