Shah Rukh Khan is the most intelligent mind I know in the business

"Shah Rukh Khan is the most intelligent mind I know in the business" - Karan Johar

Did you ever feel Kapoor & Sons was a film that offered a risky proposition?
It was and we fought many odds. Many actors refused Fawad Khan's role for various reasons. Everyone was worried about how the film would shape up but Shakun (Batra) and I had faith in it. It was a powerful screenplay, it connected with the audience. It was brave and beautiful at the same time.

Is it true that Rishi Kapoor and Shakun Batra were not on the same page during the shoot of Kapoor & Sons?
Rishiji and Shakun definitely went through some ups and downs. It never got ugly though, it never got bitter, it was a relationship of mutual debate and different perspectives. But they found their own ground. It was all for the betterment of the film. Eventually, they found a relationship. Today they're very fond of each other.

Normally, in a situation like this, whose side would you take, the actor or the director?
I'll always take the director's side. A film is a director's medium. No actor can know the film better than the director. My energies are of course employed to sort out the situation. But I will always be there for the director. I'm a director myself. I believe the director knows best.

Do you think Indian society and the film industry have become more accepting of homosexuality today?
Acceptance is still a long way but at least we're aware. That's the first stage. There was once a point when we weren't even aware. People criticised me for stereotyping homosexuality in Dostana but I'm the only filmmaker who put it out on the big scale. It's ridiculous how unaware people were before. The film, at least, brought the conversation of homosexuality into the drawing room of every urban home. I've received at least a thousand emails from kids, youngsters, teenagers, seniors... thanking me for making that film because now their parents are aware of the concept of homosexuality. It's not brushed under the carpet anymore. I've always tried to address it in my own way. I'm not apologetic about Dostana. I've got a question for those intellectuals who think the movie was stereotypical... what are they doing? Rather than writing about it in columns no one will read, or making a self-indulgent film, might as well use pop culture to make people aware about homosexuality.

Does showbiz have a place for emotional and sensitive people?
It's a sensitive profession. We make movies. Movies are an extension of our emotions especially when you write them yourself. They reflect your thoughts, your insecurities and your sensitivities. So of course, we're all sensitive being in a creative industry. In fact, our sensitivity makes us flourish. It's fine to walk around with your emotions on your sleeve as long as you're aware of the atmosphere and your surroundings. Over time, I've realised that the more you expect from relationships the more they'll disappoint you. It's important to be intelligent while being sensitive. I don't think intelligence and sensitivity can exist on different ends of the spectrum. They have to co-exist. So while I might be sensitive about something I should be intelligent enough to know that just my sensitivity will not get me anywhere. You have to have a little bit of both. Fortunately for me, I have struck that balance recently. I have understood how to balance and police my sensitivity and not get carried away with my emotions.



Have there been such moments?
Of course. There are people you get attached to and then there are people who hurt you. It's important not to get over sensitive about everything and realise that there is a line between what's professional and what's personal. In the industry we tend to blur those lines. That's not the way to go. If there is a line then you have to respect it and live it. That's what we don't do. There are times I've been hurt but I've realised that probably my hurt is not warranted and it's not coming from a place of a reason.

When someone hurts you, do you throw them out of your life or just let them be?
You don't take drastic steps for small things. But when someone keeps hurting you over a period of time, then you have to distance yourself from that person. I don't like to fight, make things ugly, scream or shout. May be it's good sometimes to do that but I'm not that person. I silently distance myself from that person.

How tough is it to nurture relationships in showbiz?
I think it's a full-time job. Films, projects, businesses every professional pursuit depends on maintaining relationships. Every relationship is different and everyone is difficult in its own way. Relationships are not machines. They don't work with a button. You can't switch it on and off when you like. You have to keep feeding it with human power. I wish relationships could work just like my I-pad. That doesn't happen. There's lot of your energy, time, compassion that needs to go into a relationship for it to really work. Every relationship needs all of this from both parties. People say it's difficult to have friendships in the industry. But the problem is that very few people try. If you want to make friends then you have to work at it. Then you have to keep going, maintain relationships and keep in touch. We're all so self-absorbed in this industry and I think mobiles have contributed to the death of so many relationships. Today, we're in a relationship with Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. We're happy with our relationships with social media. When you're in a relationship with virtual reality, it takes away the romance, emotional investment and the friendships. The kind of time people spend with their phone, it's almost seems like a new family member. The phone distances you from people. It's like a disease; we're just not diagnosing it.

You're known to be a friend to lot of people in the industry. What makes you a loyal friend?
Loyalty is not a pre-requisite of any relationship. I don't know how it's become such a prime feature in relationships. Loyalty, honesty and integrity are a given in any relationship. If you don't have those basic pillars you'll never have a friend in life. The key to maintaining relationships is to talk less and listen more. More than eight out of ten people just talk but how many of them listen? It's important to be a listener because not every problem is yours, everybody goes through problems and I think that's critical at maintaining bonds.

What are your insecurities?
Bowing down to the system, bowing down to the norms or to fraternity practices, I never want to ever be a weak version of myself. I always want to be strong and that's not to do with commercial or monetary success, it's to do with your own belief.

Three men I love the most

Amitabh Bachchan
I have great respect for Amitabh Bachchan and his achievement. His zest, his zing, the way he conducts himself at 74, he's the youngest man I know. I want to have the spirit that he has.

Shah Rukh Khan
I think he is one of a kind. He's a superstar, entrepreneur and he is also a visionary. He's the most intelligent mind I know in the business.

Aditya Chopra
I have great respect for Aditya Chopra because of his vision and what he's achieved with it. He started the first studio in this country. Today he's built it into a massive brand.

Couldn't agree more with what he said about Dostana. Bash the movie all you want for its cliches when it comes to representing something that's still very taboo in our country. But the movie like he says at least got people talking about homosexuality. It was an out and out commercial movie so it didn't delve into the topic much but it at least put the topic out there when it comes to folks from all sorts of demographic discussing it.