10/25/2012

Karan Johar, Bollywood's most adored director

By Rohini Nadia


Seasoned film director Karan Johar, also the ring-master at Dharma Productions has expressed his love for the United Kingdom before. Known for his high-budget directorial ventures, the producer-director has shot extensively in Britain and the United States too. The first film directed by Karan, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, was penned down by him while sitting on a bench outside John Lewis located at Oxford Street. The 40-year-old director has also been known to visit the United Kingdom regularly to shop. And that's not where his craze for the country stops. According to Karan Johar, "I believe that the country, Britain, has a certain soul celluloid cannot capture. You have to be there to experience it."

Karan Johar started his work in the film industry by first appearing on screen for the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in 1995, and later worked as an assistant director for Aditya Chopra before finally breathing life into his own creations. The filmmaker has also shot major parts of his film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham in London, simply due to his attachment to the city.

In the film, Karan Johar has captured places like Wales Millennium Centre, Bluewater Complex, Kent, Blenheim Palace, St Paul's Cathedral and also the banks of the River Thames. The film features a star-packed cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor and received critical acclaim when released in 2001. Karan Johar was reported to have spent nearly Rs. 40 crore for the film which in turn was crowned the highest-grossing film abroad at the time.

Produced under the Dharma Productions banner owned by Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment, the film features Siddharth Malhotra as Abhimanyu Singh, an independent student from a middle-class family seeking to fund his own education. Varun Dhawan plays Rohan Nanda, the boastful son of a business tycoon. To add to the blend, Alia Bhatt plays Shanaya Singhania, the center of attraction who prefers competing against the boys, instead of cheering for them.

The director has announced his next directorial venture, Student of the Year, also his first film without a star-packed cast. With fresh faces Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan playing the lead, the film is a step away from Karan Johar's usual movie-making trend. It is a story about three students competing against each other to win a school trophy. Releasing on 19th of October, it has been considered to be the most anticipated movie of the year.




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