satyam

(this producer has confirmed his producer total more times personally than anyone else before! LOL. The usual suspects prefer to still ask questions here!)

link

28 Dec, 2008 06:00 am ISTlTNN

K-Jo is in Los Angeles, in preparation for his grueling schedule of ‘My Name Is Khan’. Trust the man to go where no bubble-gum, romantic maker has dared in the past. The marriage of big scale commercial Bollywood with thought-provoking cinema. But KJo has other things on his mind — his beloved ‘Mumbai’ city, terrorism, and economic recession for starters.

My Name is Khan starts at a time when Hindus and Muslims in India have united like never before…
Karan Johar: Well, I think it is an exceptionally relevant time, as right now the unity of our nation is of paramount importance. We are all coming together to fight for a common cause called humanity. As a filmmaker I believe that I have a social responsibility and I promise to deliver that.

As apparent recession dogs the economy, how much will Bollywood be hurt?
Karan Johar: In many ways entertainment is recession-proof. By that, I mean that good entertainment will always be rewarded. Yes, recession has hit the movie industry too; and all filmmakers are stringently looking at their costs and trying to do budget control. Actors, technicians and everyone else have to understand that the monies being offered and being asked for are not in keeping with the times. Everybody has to be on the same page, take a look at the cost sheet, and move from there.

How were you so sure the audiences were ready for the gay-culture of Dostana?
Karan Johar: We just went with the feeling that everything new will be met with much more acceptance. I was confident we’d be able to pull it off; after all we treated homosexuality with a lot of dignity. The film has done exceedingly well overseas and in India (about a Rs 100 crore odd gross over four weeks).

In such times of terror and insecurity, has your team been able to savour the success?
Karan Johar: I think what happened to my city is terribly sad, Entertainment can come as a relief, but it cannot ever dilute the impact of what has happened to Mumbai.