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I feel scared to raise a point in my film, says Karan Johar

KJo's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was tough to release after backlash from right-wing outfits over casting Fawad Khan

30 Dec, 2016

After the difficulties he faced in releasing Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Karan Johar says he's too scared to speak his mind.

Speaking at the Bollywood Roundtable 2016 With Rajeev Masand, the director/producer said, "I’m a liberal in a headspace that is extremely progressive about many things. But I just feel like I can’t say anything. I feel like I’ve joined the herd mentality of the silent society."

Also read: Karan Johar won't 'engage with talent' from Pakistan, says he respects Indian sentiments

Karan Johar received threats from right-wing Hindu outfit Maharashtra Navnirman Sena for casting a Fawad Khan in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. MNS also threatened to oppose the screening of his film, after which Karan released a video in which he announced that he will no longer work with Pakistani talent. KJo also promised to donate INR5 crores to the Army Welfare Fund for widows of Indian soldiers.

“I feel scared to raise a point in my film, I feel scared to give an opinion and then I feel scared what’s going to happen during the release of my film,” added the filmmaker.

Karan Johar's next production will be OK Jaanu starring Shradda Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur. It will release on January 13.

Comments

Asif Dec 30, 2016 05:46pm

if you ll not longer with pak talents,then they ll not watch any indain movies..

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Hyderabadi Dec 30, 2016 05:50pm

Why bother creating movies if you are really scared?

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Dr Riffat Jabeen Dec 30, 2016 06:42pm

Be brave and don't stop telling and doing what you think is right. Listen to your heart.

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Hari Dec 30, 2016 07:17pm

Collection at the box office is all he cares about. No ideology, no nothing.

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Mani Dec 30, 2016 07:21pm

There's no point to make films then. It defeats the whole purpose of being an artist. It's just another wasted existence.

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Fried Chillies Dec 30, 2016 07:21pm

Stop acting intelligent and start producing movies that make sense. All the crap your production house is putting out is utter trash

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VIVAAN SINGH Dec 30, 2016 07:28pm

Plz karan johar No more pakistan actor and indian movies its enough !!

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S. A. M. Dec 30, 2016 07:49pm

yes to face mob power is impossible.

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Rajat Dec 30, 2016 07:50pm

Scared? You should be.

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Rajat Dec 30, 2016 07:56pm

It's time to teach Shahrukh Khan a lesson.

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Raja Dec 30, 2016 08:19pm

What message, all of your waste of time efforts were just plain nonsense

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sudeep Dec 30, 2016 08:24pm

Point. In your movies. WOW. You ended the year with a great joke.

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KAMAL PASHA Dec 30, 2016 08:25pm

It is not only you Karan, every talented and honest person is in the same boat in India.

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Dawood Dec 30, 2016 08:37pm

Nobody will listen to their heart as long as they need money

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Asif A. Shah Dec 30, 2016 08:38pm

There is a Russian proverb which states that a person bent on truth, life never was , never is and never will be easy. I do not blame Karan Johar for wishing to have a peaceful life.

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Zak Dec 30, 2016 09:03pm

You are scared because you are living in a extremist ruled state but hides behind the fasade of 'democracy'. Stand up to face them others wise they will control you.

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charu Dec 30, 2016 09:57pm

because one can see through the "points" you are capable of raising

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nuanced Dec 30, 2016 10:27pm

This guy is a attention seeker with limited talent in making movies

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Masoud Dec 30, 2016 10:28pm

"After the difficulties he faced in releasing Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Karan Johar says he's too scared to speak his mind" This negates the much publicized impression that India is the so called largest democratic country. India is currently a one man show captained by Modi & company.

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Pk Dec 30, 2016 10:33pm

Move

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Bharti Dec 30, 2016 10:34pm

How Sad !

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Kulbhudhan Yadav Dec 30, 2016 11:44pm

You can make any type of point using Indian actors. Just look at Dangal and its success.

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MKS Dec 31, 2016 12:38am

In any case you are producing nonsense in these days.

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Bombaiyaa Dec 31, 2016 12:44am

@Dr Riffat Jabeen - when there is a war like situation on the border, you can't go about your business as usual.. things change.. for better or for worse.. we have to adapt... and in his case, having casted actors from borders got him into scoop.. moreover the actors themselves didn't do any good for themselves.. one politically correct statement and they would have been fine.. KJ is a businessman after all.. no previous movies of his had any pakistani actors, so once they started gaining popularity, he quickly tried to cached on that... unfortunately it backfired in this situations and now he is cribbing and crying foul.

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Raj Dec 31, 2016 12:52am

Like demeaning Mohd. Rafi sahab ? Some people like to call it freedom of speech and abuse their celebrity status !

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Sufi Dec 31, 2016 01:20am

@Hyderabadi thats his job doh!!! If you feel threatened would you stop working ? In Hyderabad people are threatened everyday for bahta should they stop working ?

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Patel, l.A. uSA Dec 31, 2016 02:24am

When India has got so much talents in every field why is this guy looking outside foreign Indian entertainment industry have enough local new talents coming up all the time give them the chance.

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ALI Dec 31, 2016 02:48am

@Asif They use initiating tactics to get their way. The right-wing Hindu outfit Maharashtra Navnirman Sena now controls the film industry.

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Shaukat Dec 31, 2016 04:56am

1. Will Pakistanis accept an Indian actor in Pakistani movies pairing up with a Pakistani actress? How many in your country are accepting enough of this? THINK about this before you start the usual knee-jerk accusations against India 2. @ASIF - Bhai, Indian movies do not depend on Pakistani audiences for any success factor.

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Vijay Dec 31, 2016 05:14am

He is rich and powerful. He could bend hard line maharashtra based parties. Is he scarred because has lost money? After all these parties are full of un employed or under privileged people, just using noble values like patriotism to earn back some esteem for themselves that were lost day in and out of mundane jobs. If he has lost money he has lost some to those sections of people.

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Ash20 Dec 31, 2016 08:05am

Karan has not raised any critical issue in any of his films in the past including ADHM. His films are generally feel good melodrama with any story or issues and some Cathy songs. Tell me any of his film has raised any critical issue.

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kamran Dec 31, 2016 08:27am

you live in an disillusioned society where sanity is losing it voice. be strong, come forward and speak up. When they demand 500cr from you to support the paid killers who got killed tells you how high is their morale...keep pulling them to a complete breakdown.

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deepak Dec 31, 2016 08:51am

This guy and his movies are meant for elite who have no idea about the world around.

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AXH Dec 31, 2016 09:08am

Well, that is because you live in a country that has put a label of secularism for display purposes but is completely different from inside.

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AXH Dec 31, 2016 10:08am

@deepak - "This guy and his movies are meant for elite who have no idea about the world around." And you believe that the rest of the Indian movies with vulgar contents are meant for the general public?

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D.K. PAMNANI Dec 31, 2016 12:10pm

If you are an Indian, you have to live with Indian sentiments. You are earning in India. So Please ...

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Himanshi Dec 31, 2016 12:33pm

@AXH with its more than a billion population that country has actually performed quite wrll consifering the fact that minorities have grown in population, minorities havr held many senior positions like president, chief of army etc.

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Krish Dec 31, 2016 01:17pm

@deepak : Agreed, his movies are oriented towards the elite, but how come they are hits, with lakhs of people going to his films ?

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BNJ Dec 31, 2016 01:22pm

Had it been Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Bannerjee or Vishal Bharadwaj i would have cared to think but a filmmaker who just makes films for box-office will never be worth a bit of my mind share.

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Rajnish SINGLA Dec 31, 2016 01:23pm

Point in Karan Johar Movies??? LOL...Still cursing myself why I saw Ae Dil Hai Mushkil... What a bakwas movie...

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Srka Dec 31, 2016 01:44pm

It shows India is ruled by extremists

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Ihtesham ali Dec 31, 2016 01:50pm

Karan Johar you have succumbed to the rightists threat means you have compromised on your own freedom.RIP plurality, only the narrow minded will rule, Secular India RIP. Whataaturn around Modi in India And Now trump in USA ,,,wait for moment. whats going on....

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Ric Dec 31, 2016 02:00pm

Bollywood is very big industry and they have bigger responsibility on sensitive issues..

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vikram deshpande Dec 31, 2016 03:06pm

@Dr Riffat Jabeen Yes, i like your supporting Indian film maker.

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Ali Dec 31, 2016 09:55pm

KJ your corrupt society

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gogo Jan 01, 2017 03:58am

@Hari He has no point, and no vision.

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gogo Jan 01, 2017 03:59am

@KAMAL PASHA Change the boat. The world is very big.

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Thor Jan 01, 2017 09:58am

This reaction was for the 5 crore snatched by MNS. I don't like MNS, but I support MNS in this matter. Johar's infamous creativities like AIB are not good for any society, full of vulgar languages and cheap tactics to attract attention.

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NadiM Jan 01, 2017 12:58pm

That is why you are a below average director

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Masood Hussain Jan 02, 2017 06:53pm

I respect K.J for his views.He is proud to be Indian and I have no issue on that with him

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S.D Jan 04, 2017 12:27pm

Some one would have to fight against the right wing outfits

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