Okay, before the purists begin baying for my blood, can we look at the facts please? Karan Johar is self-admittedly Yash Chopra’s biggest fan. He has watched the senior director’s films over and over and has been influenced by them, which is evident in his films and career graph.
In an interview KJo said, “Today’s Internet generation knows Yash Chopra for Chandni, Lamhe and Dil To Pagal Hai but they are not aware that he was a pioneer in so many ways.” So is Karan. At the beginning of his career, he was labelled as candy floss director but then he dared to portray the Hindi film hero like few filmmakers before him. In Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, he gave the protagonist a limp and made him an angry, bitter, man. In My Name Is Khan, the leading man was autistic. While one film from Dharma had the hero playing a terrorist (Kurbaan), another (Gippi) had a fat girl as the lead role.
Karan has said this about Chopra, “He tackled the lost-’n’-found theme in the multi-starrer Waqt. He made a song-less thriller called Ittefaq. He made a multi-generational romance like Kabhi Kabhie and revenge dramas like Deewar and Trishul. Dharamputra, dealt with a social issue.” Look at Karan’s track record. His multi-starrer was Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham is a lost-and-found drama of sorts. He produced Agneepath, a revenge drama. His banner also made Dostana, which had a social message without being preachy...
But Karan’s no copycat. While Yash Chopra shied away from showing a married man leaving his wife for the other woman in Silsila and changed the ending, Karan dared to make SRK and Rani leave their spouses in KANK. When the Dharma man was accused of relying heavily on a star (Shah Rukh Khan), he made a film with three newcomers — Student Of The Year.
When they said Karan couldn’t make a film on a meagre budget, he proved them wrong with Bombay Talkies. With Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, the first Rs100 crore film belonging to the romance genre, I think it’s time to hand over the crown of the new king of romance to Karan. Besides, he has the blessings of the YRF man himself. But if you are still looking for reasons, here’s why there is no one better to lay claim to the title...
Romance rules
To anyone in search of romance two decades ago, Yash Chopra was the main supplier of mush and gush. They lapped up Silsila, Chandni, Darr, and Lamhe. He had lovers everywhere sighing. He knew the DNA of love and he made it work every single time. Then came the Gen X. Love was a four letter word for them and their take on romance and relationship was unique.
The ‘mobile phone’ youth wanted someone who was speaking their (SMS) language. They wanted to see films about live-in relationships, office romances, same sex couple problems, commitment phobic girls. Enter Karan Johar. He dished out relateable stuff.
Dostana was about roommate romance. I Hate Luv Storys was two co-workers falling in love. Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu was about a platonic relationship between a girl and a guy who loves her....
When all filmmakers were dishing out blood and gore, KJo stuck to the romance genre. In the 1980s it was impossible to speak about romance on the screen without referring to Yash Chopra. The same applies to Karan in the present scenario. Says Taran Adarsh, “Karan’s films are about love and relationships like Yashji’s films. He too is a master of romance. When you have started your career by assisting Aditya Chopra in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, then you pick up from that school. Karan’s inspired by these films as he’s grown up on them but he brings his own touch of romance to his films.”
The family guy
Everyone needs a good cry now and then. The maestro of epic love stories had people sniffing into kerchiefs with family sagas like Trishul (an illegitimate son looking to settle the score with his father), Deewar (two sons and a mother) and Parampara (two warring families).
Karan walked down the same path. Chopra’s stamp can be seen in Karan’s films. We all cried while watching We Are Family, where a dying single mother was looking for a suitable stepmom for her kids. Who doesn’t remember sobbing while the leading man is on his death bed in Kal Ho Na Ho and shedding tears when the mother pined for her banished son in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.
KJo figured out early in his career that family flicks are big box office draws. It’s what got him big love from the NRI audiences who were missing their joint families, the big weddings, the karva chauths and the Punjabi bonhomie. The desi living abroad, who were fans of Chopra’s, became Johar’s fans. An heir to the dreamseller had been found. Taran adds, “Karan is an apt candidate to be the new king of romance. Having been a pupil from Yashji’s brand of romantic cinema, who else can take over from his mantle!”
The leading lady
In his time, every leading lady wanted to work with “Yashji” because he made them look ethereal. He loved his leading ladies and made sure every man in the theatre fell in love with them. The YRF heroines were pristine, sensual and beautiful creatures: Rekha in Silsila, Sridevi in Chandni and Juhi Chawla in Darr. He was known for giving his heroines a makeover. If every heroine in the ‘80s wanted to work with Chopra, every actress today has a KJo film on top of her wishlist. It’s hard to believe that Rani Mukerji of Ghulam and of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is the same girl. Compare how Kajol looked in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge to how she looked in K3G. I rest my case.
Foreign locales
The head honcho of YRF films always shot in glamourous foreign locations, had high production values and great music in his films. Ditto Karan. Komal Nahta says, “Karan has always been inspired by Yashji’s style of filmmaking. Like him, Karan makes rich and beautiful love stories. He shoots in foreign locales, makes his heroines look gorgeous and don designer clothes. His characters are rich and his sets ostentatious, all that is very similar to Yashji’s style of filmmaking. I definitely see a lot of Yashji’s influences in Karan’s films as a producer and director. I remember when someone asked him about Student Of The Year and India mein aise school kahan pe hain, pat came KJo’s reply: “In Dharma we can’t think small!”
Hit jodi
Chopra had Amitabh Bachchan and Karan has Shah Rukh. Big B and Chopra worked together in many films (Deewar, Trishul, Kala Patthar, Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila). Karan’s take on their working relationship: “For the level of nuances in these films, the director had to be in total sync with the actor otherwise both would have failed the film. It’s like how I can capture certain emotions in Shah Rukh more effectively.” SRK has been part of every film directed by Johar except Student Of The Year.
Komal concludes, “It’s a bit early to pronounce Karan Johar as the new Yash Chopra. I wouldn’t say that as of now, but if there’s anybody coming close to Yashji’s style of romance it is Karan. He has grown up on Yashji’s films and admires that kind of cinema so whether wittingly or unwittingly, consciously or sub-consciously Karan shares similarities with Yashji’s brand of romance and cinema.” But would he call Karan is the new King of Romance for this generation? “Oh yes absolutely!”
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