Director Karan Johar refused to comment on the ongoing Kamaal R Khan controversy. Johar, whose film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil releases this Diwali, was accused of bribing Kamaal R Khan to undermine Ajay Devgn starrer Shivaay, which is also scheduled to release on the same day.
At a recent event, the director was asked to comment on the controversy. He said:
“My self respect, reputation, company reputation, upbringing doesn’t allow me to dignify this question with a response.”
The controversy began last week when Ajay Devgn made public an audio recording of a conversation between Shivaay’s producer Kumar Mangat and self-professed critic Kamaal R Khan. In the audio clip, Khan claims that he was paid Rs 25 Lakh to promote Ae Dil Hai Mushkil over the other Diwali release – Shivaay.
Hear what self proclaimed no. 1 critic and trade analyst Kamaal R Khan has to say. https://t.co/wRc7moSlsZ
— Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) September 1, 2016
A little while later, through a series of tweets, KRK contradicted his own statements and denied being bribed by Johar. He confessed that he admitted to being paid by Johar to put an end to his conversation with Mangat.
Let me clear it. Karan Johar has never paid me or asked me to bash #Shivaay n you can hear it in the tape. I said 25 Lakhs to avoid Kumar.
— KRK (@kamaalrkhan) September 1, 2016
Kumar+Ajay offered me money to bash #AeDilHaiMushkil as he is offering in the tape also but I refused. I told them that I will do it free.
— KRK (@kamaalrkhan) September 1, 2016
Today both films #Shivaay n #AeDilHaiMushkil got free publicity of millions of ₹ with my name and this is the power of The Brand KRK. G.N.
— KRK (@kamaalrkhan) September 1, 2016
At a press conference, KRK admitted that charging money for promotions was his way of working. “I never say that I don’t take money to do film promotions. I have my website and it is not a public forum. I pay salaries to everyone. I have promoted several films, some have paid me 10 lakhs, some 15 lakhs and the films for which I have promoted, I haven’t reviewed them. And charging money to promote the films is my policy. I never do it for free. During ‘Bombay Velvet’, I had said that Karan Johar had sent me a message but it was nothing like that. It became a huge controversy since the time I have asked money on camera from Karan. I saw and loved the teaser of ‘ADHM’ so I said good things about it. Why will I say bad things about any film just to make someone happy? I feel ‘Shivaay’ is ‘Himmatwala 2’ and so I said as much. As a film critic, I will decide what to say and not anyone else.”
Ajay Devgn also issued a statement in which he revealed that he was pained to see ‘people like Kamaal R Khan holding the industry to ransom’. He also questioned Khan’s integrity. “He has not denied that it was his voice in the recording and he is now making excuses and contradicting himself. It’s his word against his own word. I have never in my life spoken to nor met this man.”
Meanwhile, KRK continues to add fuel to the fire through his tweets :
Who is bigger director today?
— KRK (@kamaalrkhan) September 5, 2016