New Delhi: Filmmaker Karan Johar has said that he considers his films to be a ‘guilty pleasure’” for his audiences and is ‘unapologetically and unabashedly’ obsessed with the mainstream trappings of storytelling, something he promises to continue in his content for Netflix.
Karan Johar, who has just inked a multi-year broad content deal with the streaming giant, said the global reaction to his 27-minute film as part of the collective ‘Lust Stories’ on Netflix made him realise there is much ‘outside of our country that is interested in us and the stories we tell’.
A viewership revolution is just around the corner with the growth of OTT (over the top) platforms and it would be foolish to miss it, said the man behind ‘Dharma Productions’ and its digital arm ‘Dharmatic’.
Viewership habits have actually evolved and changed over the last decade even in India, Karan Johar stated. He added that Netflix is just the tip of the iceberg.
“There is a major viewership explosion that’s around the corner and I can’t wait to actually be a part of that movement,” Johar told this agency.
Johar, has directed blockbusters such as ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’, ‘Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna’ and ‘My Name is Khan’. He is also a successful mainstream producer, TV host and chat show anchor. He asserted that one cannot live ‘insularly’ at a time of global content revolution.
“Even when we attempt to do different stuff, there’s always a certain kind of quality that we try to project. Now we might hit it or miss it, but the endeavour is always to create high quality superior content, the kind of material that can be viewed not just in your country but even beyond that.
“It’s great to go global with your content and never live insularly and pretend like we are just living within the boundaries of our beautiful country… I think it’s platforms like Netflix which empower you to do just that,” pointed out Karan Johar.
The filmmaker was quick to point out that he will make content in the style that he knows best because he has realised that people may like him or hate him, but they simply can’t ignore him.
“I never see anyone but myself whenever I put out content, and even when it comes to digital, everybody has an impression that you can go wild, sexy or edgy, but let’s not forget that there’s organic storytelling that still needs to be told. There’s a large audience that needs to watch really strong narratives,” asserted Karan Johar.
“I’ve always been unapologetically and unabashedly obsessed with the mainstream trappings of storytelling, and that’s what I want to do in digital as well,” said the filmmaker.
People often come up to Karan Johar and almost embarrassedly admit that they have watched his debut film ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ over 100 times, a feeling they would not get for a film like ‘Lagaan’, the director informed.
“Some view my content as fluff and some have looked at it as romanticised. I will always get those diverse reactions and opinions about what I put out. But I always say, you can hate me, you can love me but you cannot be indifferent to me, and I hope you won’t be indifferent to the content we create,” said Karan Johar.
“I’ve always said I’m like your guilty pleasure. So this guilty pleasure mode is what I hope to bring on to the OTT platform as well. And so there will be stuff that, I think, everyone will watch but pretend not to,” he added.
The director believes the fear that digital revolution will eat into cinema has been replaced by hope for a new future. “There’s been an increase in footfalls in cinema halls, which is largely due to the digital revolution. Both are helping and empowering each other, and it’s a win win situation for the media and entertainment industry,” Johar signed off.
PTI