Filmmaker Karan Johar dissected the online discourse that follows film releases, and said that many of these reactions are skewed. In an interview, Karan said that a lot of the negativity that he sees about a particular film is either generated by warring fan clubs, or people hungry to go viral after giving an attention-grabbing byte. He also admitted that in his capacity as a producer, he isn’t above paying people to say good things about his films to alter perception about them.
Karan appeared on the Galatta Plus roundtable, where he said, “If you notice, those people who do those vox pops outside cinemas, the ones who are walking up to talk are all wanting to say the most sensational things. The real audience has slipped out and gone away. But some people are giving loud reactions because they want to go viral. Now, to go viral, they’re f*****g us.”
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Karan continued, “But sometimes, we also as PR send our own people to praise the film, that also happens.” As the rest of the panel reacted animatedly, with some expressing disbelief and others amusement, Karan explained, “See, sometimes you’re also struggling to make a mark. As a producer, you will make every last-ditch attempt to make your film be heard. So, while I may critique criticism, I’m also riding on their backs when they praise a film… I change with every film. Some films work on their own, so I can take the high ground and stay quiet. Some films are average, so we need to give the impression that they’re doing better than they actually are.”
He said that when a film is doing well at the box office, he can sit back and turn down interviews because he doesn’t need any more publicity. “It’s the middle order film that you have to fight for, that you have to create an aura and energy around… It’s a very interesting exercise,” he said. Karan experienced a major success in 2023, with Rocky And Rani Kii Prem Kahaani grossing over Rs 350 crore worldwide.
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