Karan Johar: The man with the flair and fascination for emotions and ensembles

Johar brings on board five actors for his next film out of which three are legends and two are current heartthrobs. There seems to be something for everyone in the filmmaker’s new Prem Kahani.

Dharmendra, Ranveer Singh, Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bachchan, and Alia Bhatt have come on board for Karan Johar’s new directorial. The new-age rom-com is titled ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani.’ This isn’t just the love story of Rocky and Rani but the romance of the veteran stars too. It has been a while since we saw the three on celluloid and the casting decision, till now, seems to be a complete hoot.

Ever since Johar has become a filmmaker, his penchant for emotions and ensembles has always remained intact. In his directorial debut ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, he brought together Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Kajol, and Rani Mukerji together in a story that was fluffy, frothy and completely contagious. In ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’, he went a step further and cast six actors that were the ultimate representation of style and aura.

Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan were the legends, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol had almost become veterans, and Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor Khan were the upcoming scene stealers and youth icons. Beyond the grandeur amalgamated with hilarity and histrionics, the idea of such an ambitious ensemble itself was enough to leave one amazed. 

But it’s ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’ that remains his bravest film. It deals with callousness and infidelity. It talks about the attempts to love after marriage and the inevitability of love outside marriage. Once again, leading the pack were Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, and Khan falls for Bachchan’s daughter-in-law. One pities Abhishek Bachchan and Preity Zinta’s fate as their impassioned love for their spouses was never reciprocated. Even their best of attempts couldn’t save their marriage from crumbling and ultimately falling apart. Everything is not fair in love, don’t know about war.

Johar was supposed to make the ‘K3G’ of the Mughal Era as his next film as a director but it has now been postponed. Titled 'Takht', it stars Anil Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, and Janhvi Kapoor. The filmmaker’s understanding of aesthetics is known to all, what needs to be seen is whether he can create the right emotions in an era gone by or not. 

But it’s thrilling to finally witness a romantic comedy at a time when Hindi Cinema is flooded with patriotic outings and small-town comedies with social messaging. The genres are outgrowing the other options of the filmmakers and quickly becoming repetitive. The nation looks forward to the return of the genre that largely dominated the marquee once. It would also be fascinating to see Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, and Dharmendra in a gorgeous, grand number that stunningly captures their aura. How’s that for nostalgia? 

Also Read: Karan Johar introduces the legendary stars of 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani'

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