Filmmaker Karan Johar has been finding himself in the news all of last week, not for his upcoming movie, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, but (and this is ridiculous) because of a certain actor in the movie. The director has been facing threats from the Raj Thackeray led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for casting Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the film. In a candid interaction he stated that banning Pakistani actors seems far from a solution. “I understand the anger & the anguish that surround us and I empathise, my heart bleeds for the lost lives. There is nothing that can justify this terrible feeling of terror. Then you are faced in a situation such as this (asking for ban on Pakistani artistes). If this was truly a solution, then one would take it.”
He further added that even speaking about it made him feel vulnerable. “I feel vulnerable & scared while even saying this. I completely feel the pain & anger. If my film is targeted because of this, it will make me exceptionally sad because my intent was always to put out a creative product out of love and nothing else,” he revealed.
The filmmaker also opened up about his battle with depression & loneliness, saying, “When you are 44 and lonely and are not in a relationship, it gets you worried. Because all the success that you’ve achieved means nothing if you cannot take it to someone else.” We were so sad hearing this from Karan! You truly don’t know what’s going on in someone else’s life, and he always seems so confident and the life of the party. We’re glad he’s talking about this – not only because it must be a weight of his shoulders, but that someone who is going through a similar situation might find the courage to speak out too.
The director also added, “You don’t feel happiness, or excitement, or any such emotion. I went through that and nobody other than you knows what you’re really going through. But now, after treatment & medication, those beats are coming back. The zing is returning.” But, it does get better … as he also mentions, “I have reached a ‘So What’ place. There are other things in life to find happiness and look forward to.”
