In an interview with ‘The Week,’ Karan Johar candidly discussed his reflections on the film, which, despite its star-studded cast and grand production, did not resonate as he had hoped.The film starred Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherji, and Preity Zinta in lead roles and faced criticism for its portrayal of infidelity.
KJo acknowledged that ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’ was a film with an intimate subject that he tried to present with commercial elements such as big song sets and massive stars. This mix, he now feels, was a mistake. “If I could make this film again, I will correct it,” Johar stated. He emphasized that the film should have been packaged differently to align more closely with its core themes.Reflecting on the reception of KANK, he defended the film against accusations of endorsing infidelity. He argued that infidelity is a reality that cannot be endorsed or sold, as it already exists in society. Despite his defense, Johar admitted that the film’s execution did not meet his own expectations or the audience’s.
Karan Johar’s reflections on KANK are not new. At a press event in 2016, he labeled the film as flawed and took full responsibility for its shortcomings. He explained that he had tried to balance creating something fresh and ground-breaking with his fear of diverging too much from mainstream Bollywood norms. This internal conflict, Johar said, led to a disjointed final product. He compared himself to his zodiac sign, Gemini, describing how he became “two people” during the film’s production, lacking a single, solid conviction.
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In his 2016 remarks, Johar also discussed how the involvement of major stars influenced his decisions. The screenplay, he noted, was originally written very differently, but he began to cater to the star personas, which diluted the film’s core content. This shift from the original vision resulted in an over-cast and unnecessarily opulent film that lost the intimacy he had intended. The grand sets and extravagant production values, while visually impressive, detracted from the story’s emotional depth and authenticity.
Karan Johar admitted that some scenes in KANK were strong and impactful, but many others were compromised by his attempts to cater to mainstream expectations. This inconsistency led to the film feeling neither fully intimate nor completely commercial, leaving it in a nebulous middle ground.
Despite its flaws, ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’ remains a significant film in Johar’s career, reflecting his willingness to tackle complex and controversial themes.
