Karan Johar has recently shared insight on one of the industry’s complex dilemmas which is self-censorship. When talking to Faye D’Souza, he also admitted that fear of repercussion had controlling effect over his creative decisions. This then raises a very crucial question; can artistic expression ever thrive under the threat of potential controversy?
“There is a fear of getting into any kind of legality,” Karan says. “Every organization now has its own legal department. We don’t want court cases, we don’t want FIRs filed against us, so that we are protected. Any script being made whether it is by Dharma Productions or our digital arm Dharmatic Entertainment goes through an internal legal censorship, and then we go ahead and make that film. It’s not like we’re scared; we just don’t want the stress and pressure that comes with fighting court cases over something you can conveniently do without.”
Dharma Productions belonging to Karan Johar serves as an example of this cautiousness shown by many filmmakers like him. Scripts have to be certified legally before they can be released to avoid conflicts which may hamper their progressions along.
Bollywood, as Johar points out, is often seen as an “easy target.”
“I really believe that the people who object sometimes are not really the ones who should be objecting,” he said. “They are people who just want to create noise for nothing at all Sometimes I feel it is just for the sake of making hue and cry because Bollywood or Indian cinema is a soft target.” You know how there might be so many things that people say and do but when we speak up for anything then you’re scattered everywhere? Then when online attacks start pouring in on us.” We are soft targets it’s true-” That’s right indeed! We are a soft power that’s a target from behind your back-” That’s what life (is) like.”
Karan Johar last directed Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani on the work front. Bad Newz is a film that he’s currently producing, and its release date is July 19.
