Vivek Agnihotri and Sudhir Mishra discuss Karan Johar.
Sudhir Mishra backs Karan Johar after Vivek Agnohtri accused the Koffee With Karan host of being the ‘leader of Bollywood’.
Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra defended Karan Johar after Vivek Agnihotri called him the ‘leader’ of Bollywood. The directors, who have starkly different filmmaking styles, sat down to talk about Bollywood on a podcast. They spoke about their contemporaries when Karan Johar’s name popped up. Discussing the filmmaker, Vivek accused KJo of being the ‘leader’ of the industry.
Speaking about the projects that Karan has done in the past, including Koffee With Karan and films like Student of the Year, Vivek said that his content does not represent real India’s sentiments or the Indian middle class. When he called Karan the ‘leader of the industry’, Sudhir disagreed. “No he isn’t,” he replied.
As reported by The Indian Express, Sudhir said, “Karan is an Indian filmmaker. Neither does he want to make a movie with me, nor do I want to make a movie with him. We are two different zones. But he’s a filmmaker, and I hope he makes a great film, because if he does well, the industry does well, and everybody prospers. So, I’m hoping the best for Karan Johar, I’m not wishing him ill. This is the way I’m looking at life. Karan Johar is not making a film for me, he probably never will. But I wish him the best, because I want the industry to prosper. I wish he gives a break to 10 more young people. He gave a break to my ex-assistant Nikkhil Advani, who went on to make films. So, good things, no?”
“You’re talking about Karan, the entire middle class feels that Koffee with Karan has been imposed on them. They don’t want to subscribe to such a mentality,” The Kashmir Files director argued. But the Afwaah director explained that if it is the case, people who are offended by his content should skip watching it. Agnihotri countered it by saying that such kind of content is difficult to avoid, given its wide reach.
“I am saying it without malice, but Student of the Year, and films after that, just see the youth in those films and the youth on the roads of the country, you won’t find the youth shown in the movies. When I watched Deewar, I related to it instantly, I looked at Amitabh Bachchan and felt, ‘Oh I also have this problem.’ But today, there is no relatability. Why are you disrespecting the sensibilities of the audience?” he said.
To which Sudhir explained, “I feel he is a very valid filmmaker, who runs a production company in this business. He has every right to be here, as much as I have or anyone else has. As much as you have, or a younger filmmaker who walks in today.”
Vivek eventually informed Sudhir that he has ‘resigned from Bollywood’. He explained that he doesn’t want to be a part of a ‘corrupt system’. Mishra replied, “We have to listen to each other. Maybe if you listen to what they (his detractors) have to say, it’ll be good for you. Think about this also no?”
Vivek is currently working on The Delhi Files whereas Sudhir released his new film Afwaah today.
