Director Karan Johar feels that people are more aware of homosexuality now. “Acceptance is still a long way but at least we’re aware. That’s the first stage. There was once a point when we weren’t even aware!”
The filmmaker drew flak in the past for stereotyping homosexuals in Kal Ho Naa Ho and Dostana. In an interview with Filmfare, the Kapoor and Sons Producer revealed that was not apologetic about producing Dostana. “People criticised me for stereotyping homosexuality in Dostana but I’m the only filmmaker who put it out on the big scale. It’s ridiculous how unaware people were before. The film, at least, brought the conversation of homosexuality into the drawing room of every urban home. I’ve received at least a thousand emails from kids, youngsters, teenagers, seniors… thanking me for making that film because now their parents are aware of the concept of homosexuality. It’s not brushed under the carpet anymore. I’ve always tried to address it in my own way. I’m not apologetic about Dostana. I’ve got a question for those intellectuals who think the movie was stereotypical… what are they doing? Rather than writing about it in columns no one will read, or making a self-indulgent film, might as well use pop culture to make people aware about homosexuality.”
Recommended
Another Karan Johar production – the Shakun Batra directed Kapoor And Sons has a homosexual man as one of the male leads. Johar confessed that the inclusion of such a character made the film a risky proposition. “We fought many odds. Many actors refused Fawad Khan’s role for various reasons. Everyone was worried about how the film would shape up but Shakun (Batra) and I had faith in it. It was a powerful screenplay, it connected with the audience. It was brave and beautiful at the same time.”
Meanwhile, Ae Dil Hai Muskhil, directed by Karan Johar is all set to have a Diwali release. Starring Aishwarya Rai, Ranbir Kapoor, and Anushka Sharma in the lead roles, the movie is a romantic comedy scheduled to hit the screens on October 28 alongside Ajay Devgn’s Shivaay.