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Highlights from Sharmeen Obaid's chat with Karan Johar, including his take on Fawad Khan

Highlights from Sharmeen Obaid's chat with Karan Johar, including his take on Fawad Khan

"I hope Fawad Khan finds the best platform because he's a terrific actor," said Johar
Updated 19 Jan, 2017

Yesterday Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy sat down with Bollywood producer Karan Johar at the World Economic Forum in Davos for an intense one-on-one conversation about film, fame, society and the arts.

It was a landmark meeting between two industry giants who are similar in how their success has forced them to contend with both praise and criticism. Their conversation couldn't escape a mention of recent tension between India and Pakistan especially with regard to the two nations' film industries, famously illustrated in Karan Johar's public pledge to refrain from working with Pakistani talent even though he'd just featured Fawad Khan in Kapoor & Sons and cast him in his upcoming film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Karan tip-toed around questions that referred to the above... but that's not all they talked about.

Choice outtakes from their chat are below.

On Sharmeen's Oscar win:

Karan Johar: "I remember your acceptance speech [at the Oscars] Sharmeen and I remember feeling really, really proud as a filmmaker that your film travelled the way it did, the point and perspective it made, and more than anything else... I think the result of what happened... that's what every artist aspires for, the impact of his or her work."

Also read: I want my work to make people uncomfortable, to make them think: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy

On Karan's Bollywood career:

Sharmeen Obaid: "Your films made me realise what love was, and that's a really powerful thing for women in our part of the world. I felt you told stories that allowed us to dream, whether it was about love, or about religion or about sexual orientation -- all of the things we felt and wanted you were telling us on the big screen. In Pakistan when I was growing up there was no film industry of our own to speak of, so Bollywood was our film industry. So thank you for all of the memories you have given us."

On Sharmeen's childhood

Sharmeen Obaid: "I'm the eldest of six children, five of them girls, so my father was on the elusive chase for a son for a very long time. I was a pain in the a** since I was 10 years old. I was asking difficult questions all the time, my mother was very busy raising children so she didn't want to answer all my questions, so she encouraged me to write for newspapers when I was very very young... by the time I was 17 I was already pretty much doing what I'm doing now, which is pissing a lot of people off. My very first brush with that was when I did this article for which I went undercover. The article came out on the morning of Eid and my father had woken up and gone to say his prayers and he came back and said: 'What the hell have you done today?'"

"Clearly the people I had written about had wanted to teach me a lesson and has spray painted my name and my families name across my gate and my house.... But my father told me it was OK to tell the truth and that someone was always going to be standing around me if I chose that path."

On the nature of film-making:

Karan Johar: I was swept by the narrative structure of film... you can create a world, you can destroy it, you can do what you want with it and serve it to people just the way you like.

Sharmeen Obaid: I think [of] filmmakers [as] pregnant because you carry this thing in you, nobody else knows about it, you hold it close to you, groom it, then you put it out in the world and hope the world will embrace it just the way you embrace your kid."

On facing criticism:

Sharmeen Obaid: Initially, very early on in my career, when I would face criticism it would make me upset. And I'd wonder why because I wasn't the one doing the atrocity, I was the one who was showcasing it so that it would stop. I was doing something that I believed in, that was close to my heart."

"Then over the years I began to realise people speak out because they know you have a voice, they know that you have an impact. So they want to drown out your voice. I hate indifference, that you do too. I'd rather have people love me or hate me, and not be indifferent. And so in Pakistan, people either love me or they hate me. And the ones that get angry about what I do are really misdirecting the anger because the anger should be about the issues. Who wants to have acid violence against women, who wants to have honour killings, or violence in general. And so now it doesn't matter to me anymore. Criticism doesn't faze me. I know my work is having an impact."

Also read: We need to change the conversation about Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy. Here's how.

Karan Johar: "When you talk about criticism I completely feel connected. I feel like you're my soulmate in that respect because I feel like when I wake up to that Twitter trolling or that abuse... Initially it was anger that moved to complete indifference and now it's amusement. Like, now if I'm not criticised in the morning or trolled or abused to death I feel like it's something missing in the day."

"Faceless people say the nastiest things. And like eventually, they may think whatever about your life or your cinema or your sexuality. Sometimes you may give an opinion and they'll just be like 'Gay' and I wonder how that's a response."

"You feel like you have to build an armor of steel, because, we're in the business where we make movies. We're opinion makers as a result of being filmmakers... What amazes me, Sharmeen, is the way your approach is and your demeanour, considering that you have to go back home and combat much more than I do. You've been much braver than I am."

Read on: Karan Johar just wrote an open letter to his homophobic Twitter trolls

On women and film:

Sharmeen Obaid: "My greatest asset is that I'm a woman."

Karan Johar: "But you don't play that card -- the woman card?"

Sharmeen Obaid: "Hell yes! Of course I play the woman card! When you can play the woman card, play the woman card."

Karan Johar: "I think it's amazingly honest that you said that. Very few women admit to that."

On the Bollywood ban and Fawad Khan:

Sharmeen Obaid: "We as artists have to be true to our hearts... And do the things that we want to do. I really hope that someday I can go on the big screen and watch Fawad Khan directed by you again."

Karan Johar: "I'm trying to process how to answer that... You know what I went through. It was a tough time for me. I have a great regard for talent and I have a great regard for Fawad Khan's talent which is why he's been in two of our films. The circumstances... we don't know where we're heading, and I think all great actors should find the best platforms and just like you I hope Fawad Khan finds the best platform because he's a terrific actor. Having said that, I never want to go through what I went the again. Neither the situation, the circumstances, nor the apology. None of that is what made me feel comfortable. I felt weak, vulnerable, victimised, and as a filmmaker I don't want to feel that. I just want to feel creatively liberated."

Comments

Riz Jan 19, 2017 09:33am
KJ also apologize for making "CHIKNI CHAMBELI" and promise not to make anything like this iun future,, it was a great talk to watch,, was really impressed (more impressed) with both. specially with KJ who handle questions very very well,,
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Javeed Jan 19, 2017 09:54am
I can understand what Karan might have went through in that difficult time! He has already done enough to showcase Pakistani talent. He is a brave filmmaker! About SOC, she is a strong lady making her own path & mark! I hope they both keep doing the good work!
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Syed Irfan Ali Jan 19, 2017 09:59am
Excellent coverage. Was thinking to watch it on Youtube but now I feel no need as you've told me what I wanted to know. More power to Sharmeen and Karan.
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charu Jan 19, 2017 10:09am
conversation between to unequals. Personally, would prefer Sharmeen's genre of films over Karan Johar's anyday Karans lacks tge vision and senstivity of Sharmeen. A conversation with Vishal Bharadwaj, Rakesh OP Mehra would have been way more intruiging
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Vivaan SINGH Jan 19, 2017 10:17am
Wow .. What a answer about fawad question.. Very decent say no to work with Pakistani talent..!! This time karan play very smart!!
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MIRZA Jan 19, 2017 10:59am
Johar should learn couple of things from Sharmeen.
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VINOD Jan 19, 2017 12:03pm
The hate spread by interested people for their own greed of power very deeply affects our lives, lives of common people and even being aware of the evil designs we stand exposed, feel totally helpless but find no answers. Though we love each other as humans but are forced to stay apart.
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raj Jan 19, 2017 01:44pm
@charu its very "elitist" of you to say they should have interviewed someone else when billions of people flock to see the kind of cinema KJ dishes out. There is absolutely nothing wrong with dancing around trees and dishing out love till you don't offend others and are able to put across your point of view and narrative. And I bet you wouldn't have seen Pather Pancheli for all its Art appeal. So stop being a hypocrite.
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Gunther Jan 19, 2017 01:46pm
the article cites SOC as an industry giant. She makes documentaries with not a single box office hit. Little point in bringing Johar to such a forum where instead of talking abt bringing things forward he is openly admitting elements back home stopping himfrom accepting Pakistani talent.
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Srehman Jan 19, 2017 03:11pm
Interesting talk ,but karan Johar come on be brave ,learn something from sharmeen but then maybe his situation is different as he needs support of wider public to watch his films,while sharmeen does not face these pressures ..
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Maxx Jan 19, 2017 05:34pm
@Gunther She has won two Oscars, for her films in the particular genre, the films are ' Saving Face' and ' A girl in the river'. She doesn't makes masala kind of films to be box office hit...this is really childish.
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Dr. Tankra Jan 19, 2017 05:59pm
I like sharmeen
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ga Jan 19, 2017 06:13pm
I have a feeling Sharmeen would have held her ground on not casting a foreign actor. But the difference is that she has an innate social activism in her. KJ is more of an entertainer.
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Azeez Jan 19, 2017 06:48pm
@Maxx : she is a documentary film maker
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Afrazi Jan 20, 2017 02:11am
Apart from documentaries Shermeen also made animated movies for children that did very well at the box office
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Afrazi Jan 20, 2017 02:12am
Apart from documentaries Shermeen also made animated movies for children that did very well at the box office.
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Abs UK Jan 20, 2017 04:05am
@Azeez Yes she is a double ocsar winning director, so proud of her talent and success.
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Pakistani Jan 20, 2017 04:34am
Shirmeen I like you and your work never stop feeling proud of you...you surely are impressive.
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MJ Khan Jan 20, 2017 12:42pm
Looks like a real life love story. KJo & Fawad love each other, but can't be together because of borders.
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bharat Jan 20, 2017 12:46pm
@MIRZA Johar is a businessman. He makes movies for money not acclaim. He is earning enough already.
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anil sahu Jan 21, 2017 08:09am
@charu you should watch wake up sid
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Kunjal Jan 21, 2017 10:29pm
@Maxx. Are you mad or what? There is a difference between mainstream cinema and documentries. Documentries are for only the cliched audience whereas mainstream masala films are for the majority. You can't compare both genres. You people watch and feed on Karan Johar's masala films and then resort to name-calling. Sick!
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nibedita Jan 22, 2017 11:51pm
@anil sahu wake up sid was not directed by Karan..there is a difference between production and direction..johar has alot of money.he has produced so much but not as much talent to direct films...
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