Readers Write In #6: An Unsuitable Boy

Posted on January 31, 2017

Ramit Bajaj requested to open a thread on Karan Johar’s autobiography An Unsuitable Boy. Happy commenting.

Also, if you have an idea — not covered in a review or column — that you’d like to discuss, do let me know.

And, here’s the page from the book that talks about me:

Posted in: Books, Cinema: Hindi, Readers Write In

66 Responses “Readers Write In #6: An Unsuitable Boy” →

ramitbajaj01

January 31, 2017

In the book, KJo has bared it all. His success, his failure, his insecurities, his strengths and weaknesses. At times, he comes across like a Buddha. He has reflected on almost his every major decision. Why he acted that way. What led him to act that way. What impact it had on him- positive or negative. He is a filmmaker in a truest sense. He has a strong command on human emotions. He genuinely respects people around him. For every failure, he is willing to acknowledge his mistakes. And for other people involved in it, he is magnanimous enough to focus on their positive points.

However, even though he himself has admitted that it’s only his sexuality which he is not comfortable talking about, yet I found its description to be not really honest. He doesn’t want others to know his sexuality- that’s fine. But I felt that he himself has not accepted himself. He has given explanations for his choices which don’t give ‘his self-awareness vibe’, which is present is all other portions of the book. It was actually rather sad that he had to give explanations for things, which otherwise could have been redundant.

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ramitbajaj01

January 31, 2017

The description of his childhood was quite traumatic. What he had to go through because of his femininity. How he dealt with it.

I hope someday we could reach a point where people don’t have to go through such trauma. But perhaps, that’s a long long way to go.

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ramitbajaj01

January 31, 2017

Karan says, of all the critics, he takes only Baradwaj Rangan seriously. He says he reads him for academic reasons. And he says he knows that BR doesn’t like his movies, except, of course, one.

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ramitbajaj01

January 31, 2017

There was a bit about DDLJ. The red sweater that Shahrukh wears while saying goodbye to Kajol on front of her house was vetted by Karan from the peti of Chandni. I found it very amusing that they keep petis for different movies, and that some randomly chosen clothes could become such iconic.

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Praneeth Bharadwaj

January 31, 2017

I would really love to see a thread discussing about Mr. Karan Johar’s book and especially BR’s journey through it. As far as telugu cinema is concerned i am a fan of Mr. Trivikram Srinivas but recently i came across few things where i understood that many works in telugu are NOT original but “inspired” from hollywood classics. I am confused about what is ‘art’ and in specific ‘art of cinema’.I would like see an article talking about ‘The Original Indian Cinema’

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ramitbajaj01

January 31, 2017

Karan has given us glimpses on many famous things, that are close to our heart. Kuch kuch hota hai, kabhi khushi kabhi gam, kal ho na ho, etc. Their making. What went into story writing. How the idea was conceived. What were roadblocks. How they were overcome.

It’s quite insightful to read about accidental nature of things that later gel into public conscience.

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ramitbajaj01

January 31, 2017

Karan might not be the greatest of the writers. But he has a strong command over the language. His sentences flow like water. In fact, it feels as if we are listening to him speak. Some might even call it gossip-y nature of writing style. In any case, his write-ups are quite engaging.

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Aneesh

January 31, 2017

Hello Sir,

Do you watch Korean Movies/Foreign Films? If yes then why don’t you review them?

It would be really good if you did at least Korean Movies!!

All The Best!!

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brangan

January 31, 2017

Haven’t finished the book yet. But so far, every decision or event he talks about is emotional — about people and not the business. I thought the book would be fun and chatty and gossipy, like his show. Was not prepared for how moving it is.

Wish there’d been more detail, though. But a solid read nonetheless.

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Raj Balakrishnan

January 31, 2017

Hi BR, you had written a piece after Djokovic ‘s victory at Roland Garros last year. How about one now on Federer ‘ s AO win.

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Rahul

February 1, 2017

Ramit bajaj , thanks for your comments on the book .

BR and Ramit, thanks for the thread. Makes me want to read the book.

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ramitbajaj01

February 1, 2017

Also, of BR’s request to ask for a foreword for his book, Karan finds it ‘ironical’ because he says BR doesn’t like most of his movies. And he says BR still doesn’t like his movies and that he doesn’t actually mind. It was really funny how he says it.

I find Karan’s take on things quite amusing. His line of thought reeks of positivity throughout.

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ramitbajaj01

February 1, 2017

Karan has strong family values. The way he gives so much importance to his family and friends makes me envious actually. No wonder his movies are a reflection of these values.

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ramitbajaj01

February 1, 2017

His quality of eliding over negative points of others is reflected in almost every chapter. It’s truly remarkable.

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ramitbajaj01

February 1, 2017

Before the book came out, I was not really a fan of KJo. But my perception of him has changed so much now.

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ramitbajaj01

February 1, 2017

He may not be as great a person as he is coming across in the book, but at least I have fallen in love with his thought process.

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Anu Warrier

February 1, 2017

Ramit, I have often thought, based on his interviews and how he comes across in person, that he’s a thoroughly nice guy, and is so unusually self-aware. I have to get this book, especially because I really enjoy reading or listening to his interviews.

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ramitbajaj01

February 1, 2017

Mostly I watch a movie because of a director or a writer, and sometimes for an actor. However, this book has totally sold me the idea of going to a movie because of the production house. KJo jas given quite a detailed description about Dharma Productions. The values it stand for. The visions it have. The kind of movies it produces. Its range. I guess it’s quite interesting to evaluate a movie vis-a-vis its production house.

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Sifter

February 2, 2017

@ ramitbajaj01- An open thread for you. Wow. And your emotions spills out in your comments 🙂 🙂 Liking it.

I absolutely refused to watch his movies…until ADHM. I still will not watch them just because i liked his latest one. I do like how he wears his heart on his sleeve all the time and his little peek here, little peek there candidness,

Waiting for it to be delivered.

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TharaLocalMaamu

February 3, 2017

BR, I’ve seen you write about sports in the past and I know this is slightly off-track but could you do a personal piece on Nirmal Shekar. You might not have interacted with him professionally at The Hindu but for a generation of people like me (and i would assume you too), the way he wrote about sports was mesmerizing so would be interested to hear if he was one of the writers you followed/ admired/ respected. Thanks.

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ramitbajaj01

February 3, 2017

Karan has always given a lot of importance to irreverence. In fact, it was through his interview years ago that I came across this word. And I found it quite mind-boggling. I used to be quite closed and defensive earlier. Not that things changed immediately. But at least a seed was sown, and I started seeing things differently. Being open to banter or even false funny accusations. Koffee with Karan is thematically irreverent. If such stars could take things lightly, then why were we mortals being so wound up on petty things?

Earlier I would think ‘irreverence’ is Karan’s acquired skill. But his autobiography reflects that he has been like this ever since. Funny, casual, sarcastic, carefree. It’s interesting that some people are able to preserve their core. Not coming under peer pressure or cerebral pressure.

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ramitbajaj01

February 3, 2017

Perhaps the biggest revelation in the book is that Ranveer Singh is a depressive, and that his energy is a release from his inner sadness.

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ramitbajaj01

February 3, 2017

It is also interesting how Karan lambasts young actors for trying to cuteify their public image, thereby being distant from the audience.

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ramitbajaj01

February 3, 2017

Karan is so bold. He says or does things without worrying about the consequences. He doesn’t mind saying politically incorrect things. He realizes the bare needs of humans, and calls it out. I am so glad I read this book.

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tonks

February 4, 2017

I’ve always meant to read Karan Johar’s book and this post was the trigger that finally made me buy the Kindle version a few days back. I haven’t completed it but I love how honest he is about himself. He has so much love for his family and friends. I particularly loved the bit where he confesses the way he felt when he was bowled over by Lagaan and Dil chahta hai, and the way these movies made him feel about his Kabhi khushi kabhi gam which was just due to be released. It takes a lot of courage and humility to be so honest about feelings of insecurity.

This book also set me musing about humour. Karan Johar is funny, irreverent and sassy in interviews (and the way he describes himself in the book, he is a person like that in real life too, with a great sense of humour) but the tone of the book is not in the least humourous. It’s sincere and moving, rather than funny. Perhaps that is intentional and understandably one cannot be both irreverent and sincere at the same time.

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Deepak

February 6, 2017

“Karan says, of all the critics, he takes only Baradwaj Rangan seriously. He says he reads him for academic reasons. And he says he knows that BR doesn’t like his movies, except, of course, one.” – man, Taran Adarsh would be so disappointed to read that. I don’t know if he has rated a Karan Johar movie anything less than 4 stars! 🙂

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brangan

February 6, 2017

So I added an image of the book excerpt that has my name 🙂 See post above.

Though I must add that with the exception of My Name is Khan and Student of the Year, I have liked KJ’s films quite a bit. Even the ones like K3G — I hate the scenes with Jaya Bachchan weeping, but the Chandni Chowk portions are such fun, and SRK is in peak form here.

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Anu Warrier

February 6, 2017

Just ordered the book today. 🙂

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Anuja Chandramouli

February 7, 2017

I am not unhappy with the success of KJo’s An Unsuitable Boy, but noting the love for him in this space I can’t help feeling a wee bit alarmed at this emerging trend in the already beleagured Indian publishing industry. It is worrying that today’s readers would rather read Twinkle Khanna, Shilpa Shetty, Sonali Bendre, Emraan Hashmi than someone like Easterine Kire or Jerry Pinto (Both Hindu Lit Prize Winners) or Kishalay Bhattacharjee or Josy Joseph. The first two write like a dream while the next two write discomfiting stuff about staged encounters and the rampant corruption in this country.

Even the likes of Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, Ayn Rand or Umberto Eco will have difficulty winning over the current lot of ADHD afflicted readers, by my reckoning. I love movies (duh!) but the thing is I keep coming back to this blog not so much because of the films BR writes about but the sheer elegance of his prose and his mastery over the written word. Again, I love the filmi discussions that take ace and the fact that we get all hot and bothered about the umpteen things that crop up here but it sucks that wordsmiths are no longer revered on the strength of this talent alone. Honestly it gives me a wicked case of the heebie jeebies. I mean if Shakespeare shows up in today’s world he will have a rough time getting published unless he fancies ghost writing Rakhi Sawant’s ‘ The Perils of Plastic Surgery’, Sherlyn Chopra’s ’50 Shades of Kink’ and Priyanka Chopra’s ‘How to Eat Double Cheese Pizza While Remaining a Size Zero’. Doesn’t that make you want to scream into a pillow?

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Filistine

February 7, 2017

Anuja – it is interesting that you mention Shakespeare. For all his literary status, The Bard was pretty much the Chetan Bhagat of his generation. He was hardly considered great literature. He unashamedly wrote pulp, lifted scripts from other sources and generally made a pest of himself within the country with his generalizations about Jews, Scots etc.

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brangan

February 7, 2017

Anuja Chandramouli: But that has always been the case. The light and entertaining has always meant more to the average reader than the heavy and the literary. The publishing industry understands this, and the revenues from these books (I include Chetan Bhagat, Ravinder Singh, etc.) go towards subsidising non-fiction and serious fiction titles.

To give an example from the movies, you may not like a Vijay movie but it’s good news if a Theri becomes a blockbuster because it pumps money into the industry and the same distributor may tomorrow take a chance on a smaller film with his earnings.

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sanjana

February 7, 2017

Anuja, what you say is sadly true but the times have changed. The only way to promote good books is to give it free with a trashy one at a slightly higher price. Or some such incentive.

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Anuja Chandramouli

February 7, 2017

BR: That is an optimistic way of looking at the issue, I guess. But still it would be nice to work on developing a reading public that cares about good writing as opposed to the more salacious details about a Bollywood starlet’s sez life.
That said I have absolutely nothing against light, entertaining reads. In fact when browsing in airport bookstores (don’t you just adore those?) I look specifically for pulpy, fast – paced novels on most days. Heavy, literary fare is an acquired taste and I am just saying that hopefully there are at least a few out there who make the attempt to cultivate said taste. Because, I can’t stress this enough, if you survive the first few chapters (or even a few hundred pages in some cases) it is soooo worth it. Take Tolkien for instance, given his love for detailing and verbiage, he is not as easy to read as say GRRM, but if you persist you are so going to fall insanely in love with him. (For those about to say ‘I’d rather watch the movie’ please don’t, that is going to give me a brain aneurysm, so I beg you to spare me). And for all that Tolkien’s body of work isn’t exactly considered heavduty literature!

Filistine: Irrespective of the age, I don’t fall in love with authors on the basis of ‘Literary value’ attributed to them. It is more about whether their words speak to me. Now take Bill Watterson, critics usually don’t bother with comic strips but I love and admire that man something fierce. Anyways my point was, even somebody like the Bard, whose work continues to be widely read and who is a literary immortal might have struggled to find his footing in the publishing industry as it stands today.

Sanjana: You are going to make me cry. ‘The good of a book lies in its being read’ – Umberto Eco. And every book deserves to be read by somebody. And good books deserve so much more…

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tonks

February 7, 2017

it’s good news if a Theri becomes a blockbuster because it pumps money into the industry and the same distributor may tomorrow take a chance on a smaller film with his earnings

Karan Johar himself has sort of done something like that, by co-producing Lunchbox. He is candid about his motives for doing so, in his book.

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Rahini David

February 7, 2017

Anuja,

While I completely agree with what you say, I have to point out that the same applies to all art forms. Think good music vs. pop music and good dance vs. popular dance. I don’t just mean classical music and dance. I mean fulfilling music and dance that stays with us. I continue to come to this site to read the prose and I agree that there is infinite beauty in the written word. However the patience to endure blocks of text in hope that it is going to turn into something great has left me sometime back. The writer needs to hook me with the first line and all subsequent lines need to add up or it is just good-bye to that particular book. Am I missing great pleasure in doing so? Perhaps. Is this ADD? Well, most definitely. But that is the deal with me these days and it appears that I am not alone.

I want the pleasure of reading a REALLY good book

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sanjana

February 7, 2017

Rahini, If I get bored in the beginning, then I try to jump forward to see whether the effort is worth.

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ramitbajaj01

February 7, 2017

Anuja, this blog is about cinema. That is why I wrote about KJo’s book or was planning to write about Twinkle Khanna’s book. I would also like to showcase my love for Julian Barnes or Amitav Gosh, but maybe on some other blog.

Also, An Unsuitable Boy is not about literature. It’s about a filmmaker’s choices. The filmmaker who knows how to pull our hearts’ strings. Who showcases us black, white and grey. Who creates a moral dilemma and then resolves it. More importantly, who knows how to leave a lasting impression on our minds. I hope we don’t look down upon these things.

Thanks.

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Madan

February 7, 2017

“Think good music vs. pop music and good dance vs. popular dance.” – Not to re-ignite the most combustible topic in this space :D, but there was a time when Ilayaraja (or Stevie Wonder, if you will) was pop music. There were banal lines of lyric written back in the day too but usually you couldn’t fault the musicianship (unless it was Shankar being infatuated with Sharda and other such few and far between cases) and you didn’t have to question if the singer was really capable of delivering it live or it was in fact autotuned to hell. There is a long running trend of opposing anything expressed in a ‘trained’ manner, whether by voice or with the pen, as elitist and ‘pretentious’. It started with punk rock in the West, Mr Bhagat inaugurated anti-intellectualism in writing (he believes people like Rushdie write books like Midnight’s Children only because they want to appear fashionable and sophisticated) and now it’s spread to politics too.

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Anu Warrier

February 7, 2017

@The love you see for Johar or his book does not equate to disliking or being unable to appreciate ‘good’ writing.

Neither does ‘light’ equal ‘pulp’. (Not saying you said so; this is tangential.) For instance, Wodehouse, who is one of my absolute favourites, wrote nothing more than ‘light’ books because he said it hurt his head to write serious stuff. I love his writing for the word play. Or Georgette Heyer, who is another of my go-to authors for light reading.

Like many things, ‘good writing’ is also subjective. I can’t stand Ayn Rand, and don’t consider her a good writer. Chetan Bhagat – can’t seriously consider him a ‘writer’; I tried – very hard – to get through his first book because my niece was gushing about it, but gave up midway through the first chapter.

Whereas, Tolkein? Not a great fan of the genre, but I can appreciate his command over language, and the beauty of his expressions. Salman Rushdie has always been a favourite, even if I didn’t like a couple of his later books.

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tonks

February 7, 2017

Different books give you different things. While the language of this particular book is very ordinary and conversational (Karan narrated the whole book to his co- writer and she wrote it down, being very careful to preserve his voice), where the book scores is in its honesty. I found the story gripping too. Right from the school days where I was moved to tears when the effeminate, introverted boy who had never till then won anything in his whole life, suddenly wins the inter-school debating championship and brings home this huge cup and his mother bursts into tears. Another moving moment for me was his father breaking down with happiness after his parents watch the first-draft screening of KKHH.

Literariness or good language is only one part of a good book. The ability to move you, the ability to empathise with (and the believability of) the characters is what works most for me. In some books you get both which is wonderful (Ian McEwan’s Atonement, for instance, or with Ishiguro’s The remains of the day) but good language alone (without sufficiently three dimensional characters whose inner world with its emotions and thoughts one can occupy) fails to move me. Which is probably why I did not enjoy Tolkien as much as Rowling or even GRRM, who both have characters that have moved me to tears, who are beloved (though Tolkien’s description and language is undoubtedly superior to the other two writers). And why I so love and do not tire of re-reading the strong (and very believable) characterisations of Austen, Thomas Hardy or Elizabeth Gaskell. (While reading Hardy, when he rambles on and on with his descriptive, beautifully written passages about the scenery and the houses, I’d skip them sometimes to move to the actual story and character’s thoughts.)

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sanjana

February 8, 2017

I thought I am the only one who cant stand Ayn Rand!

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MANK

February 8, 2017

All this looks totally bizarre to me. People tripping over each other in praising KJo to the skies.. Karan the nice guy, Karan the great Guy, Karan the Honest, and all this after reading the dude’s autobiography. siva! siva! never thought that Brangan’s blog would come to his 😀

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tonks

February 8, 2017

Mank, I’m surprised at your tone, what is your problem with Karan Johar? I’ve always liked his persona, much before I read this.

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Sifter

February 8, 2017

If Karan Johar’s book could be considered as one about his salacious sex life AT PRESENT, who knows, it could be considered as something of a benchmark in the FUTURE. Just like Shakespeare’s writings has become!

I read Rise of Kali, Maneka’s choice, Sita’s sister one after the other, then attempted Shakti. But stopped at about 20 odd pages because it was exhausting (trying 4 in a row of Indian Mythology was a mistake 🙂 ). To cheer myself, I read my Brilliant Friend. Then suddenly I wanted to read Seeing in the Dark: Short stories by R Chudamani translated by Prabha Sridevan. I read the last book very slowly, not because it wasn’t interesting, but because I enjoyed it, it forced me to ruminate over a few lines, page after page. I marked it, tried to visualize with it, have attempted conversations with it. In short, it spoke to me in an intimate language and tone that very few books have done in the past.

To cut the long drag short, I read as my mind fancies or as per the state it is in. There are times that I feel like throwing a book against the wall because of its self-importance, or it’s hamming, loud slapstick humour, pretend intelligence, but there would be times when the very same are the perfect choice for me to read. Oftentimes I would pick-up and read a Margaret Atwood, then lose interest, pick-up an Anne Tyler instead. Or a Dawn French. Or an Alice Munro. Or a J M Redmann. Or a Jane Rule. Or Virginia Woolf Or a Sarah Waters. Or an Emma Donoghue Or…the list is endless.

That said, what is wrong with liking reading a book that is apparent in its honesty? That throws bare the good and the bad, that has a bitter-sweet-sad emotion running throughout it, and yes, a bit salacious? It is rare that you find a book, which even while revealing a bit of pomposity about the subject, still manages to be enduring. I am thoroughly enjoying his book!

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Sifter

February 8, 2017

Endearing, not enduring. Future will tell if it endures or not!

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tonks

February 8, 2017

If Karan Johar’s book could be considered as one about his salacious sex life AT PRESENT

That is the one thing it most definitely is not

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Rahul

February 8, 2017

BR, its painful sitting through the second half of K3G and not in a good way.
Anyway, the reason why I am interested in this book, is because despite all his warts (of his movies), Karan is an important voice in Bollywood cinema , and I can’t think of many insider’s views from contemporary Bollywood , something like BR’s conversations with Mani Ratnam.

There is a long interview of Dibakar Bannerjee by Jai Arjun.

And i came across this book, right now, which seems terrific.

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Anuja Chandramouli

February 8, 2017

ramitbajaj01: I wasn’t undermining KJo or Twinkle Khanna. Haven’t read their books but their articles especially the latter’s are damn cool and there is certainly none of the disdain you seem to have seen in my comment for their work in the literary sphere.

Anu Warrior: It isn’t really about literature, pulp fiction and whatever have you. I am all for ppl reading whatever the hell they feel like (inclusive of letters to penthouse 🙂 )

What I was saying is that there appears to be this trend where everybody wants to gorge on all things Bollywood, leading to a crazed obsession with celeb culture to the detriment of all else. Suppose I will just have to get used to the fact that the Juggernaut that is Bollywood is unstoppable.

Finally I might as well add that I am your typical insecure writer ( such a bloody cliché right?) who is bitterly envious of the likes of KJo, Tina Khanna et al simply because their work gets read because they are bathed in the glamorous sheen of Tinseltown and can wear the hell out of a Herve Leger bandage dress (in the case of the BTown divas). So it was just that I made it personal despite knowing that it isn’t (which somehow makes it worse).

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brangan

February 8, 2017

Anuja Chandramouli: I decry the snark directed at ‘Letters to Penthouse’, and I’m sure KayKay joins me.

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Anuja Chandramouli

February 8, 2017

Your most Splendiferous, Magnificent Excellencies, BR, Baron of Bawd, Emperor of Inequity and KayKay, Lord of the Lewd, King of Kink, Sultan of Smut, Grand Vizier of Vice, Caliph of Carnality, Prince of Perversion, I stand before you chastised, slumped in a sink of shame at the slight cast (perceived or otherwise) at such a worthwhile and venerable publication that is a veritable treasure trove of Literary gems.

Yours in a state of abject apology,
Anuja Chandramouli

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Anu Warrier

February 8, 2017

@Anuja, ah, so. Yes, the celebs have a better chance of getting published, and read. I hear you.

That said, on a post about a celeb book, you won’t have people talking about gorging on other genres, no? 🙂

I’m the sort of person who will read the mungphali wrapper. Growing up with a ‘no book is barred to you’ father and a mother who almost died of apopletic shock because her pre-teen was reading The Adventurers made me pretty eclectic in my reading tastes. From Austen to Heyer, from James Hadley Chase and Harold Robbins to the westerns – Louis L’Amour, Sudden, etc., from Shakespeare to Arthur Hailey, Thomas Hardy to Alistair Maclean, Agatha Christie to Salman Rushdie, along with a clutch of regional writers, I read anything and everything.

I think the only time my father would have had a problem is if I were reading only pulp fiction.

@Tonks – I loved Remains of the Day!

@Sanjana – there are quite a few of us who think her philosophy is nuts. 🙂 [And that she is not a good writer. Lots of clunky sentences.]

@MANK – why the snark? I’ve always enjoyed Karan Johar’s interviews, and his honesty in his columns long before he wrote the book.

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mahi

February 9, 2017

I can’t stand Karan’s movies. Haven’t been able to sit through most of them, except for KANK. Liked parts of that movie especially Abhishek and Rani’s track. I completely got the part where Rani wanted to leave this perfect man for a loser. Struck a chord somewhere.

But love love his interviews and his shows like jhalak dikhlaja.

In the QA session in TIFF 2016, I remember one of the audience members saying to Karan….”This energy and emotion that you give to the universe has always managed to reach me, so I want to thank you”. That is exactly what I feel when I watch or listen to him.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he has more female than male fans. He is like this successful, rich talented man but with a woman’s soul and a woman’s EQ. His interviews feel so intimate. He is so in tune with his emotions and has no qualms referring to them in his interviews openly. It is almost like listening to a close girlfriend.

No false bravado or over sized ego. And have never seen him be malicious or derogatory.

Would love to read his book.

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Sifter

February 9, 2017

@ tonks- Wrote that to point out Even If It Is…. and I completely agree, it is not salacious at all.

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ramitbajaj01

February 9, 2017

Let me hazard a guess behind MANK’s comment.

KJo’s movies are not considered serious enough. Characters without depth. Mostly happy people. Filmy contrivances. Everything revolving around love. It’s all considered mush. Popcorn entertainment. It doesn’t have much space in intellectual cinema discussion, so much so that Interstellar’s last portions were considered as Karan Joharisation.

However, I enjoy Karan’s universe a lot. Total escape from reality. Pus, its longevity. And of course, music. And those carefully created scenes to squeeze out every ounce of drama. I love all of it.

However, when he tries to show responsibility towards society (LGBT issue or Islam issue), that is when the problem starts for me. ( His movies (barring Kapoor & sons) make me think he is a homophobe (especially the part in Bombay Talkies).

2nd aspect of MANK’s comment is about judging Karan from his autobiography. This statement might have some merit. As in, the writer may have deliberately skipped some portions that could have painted him in a negative light. Especially when the writer knows how to play with the emotions of the consumer. In any case, I really liked he would like to project himself as. Such an endearing personality.

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Anu Warrier

February 9, 2017

Ramit, this book is Karan’s voice, no? His autobiography? The writer’s only responsibility is to reflect that voice as accurately as possible. There’s no question of ‘skipping’ any part, when the book is basically Karan dicating his thoughts and the writer taking down dictation.

Why do you think Karan is a homophobe? I really, really liked his portion of Bombay Talkies. It didn’t, IMO, show any homophobia at all. What it did was to show how a gay man, who has been in the closet all his life, not even admitting it to himself, feels when confronted with evidence of his attraction to the same sex.

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ramitbajaj01

February 10, 2017

In Bombay Talkies, sympathies lie with the wife. She was shown to be sexually deprived. Understandable. But what about the sympathy for the husband, who had been living in denial? Who was more sexually deprived- wife or the husband? If the filmmaker wants to tell the story of the wife, it’s fine. Please do it. But why do it by demonizing the husband? (mechanical/lustful sex with wife, beating the male lover).

I am not saying such characters are not possible. But I am appalled at Karan’s choice of showing such stories. The LGBT issue- which is already a subject of ridicule in schools, colleges, workplaces- could do with some respectful stories. Stories that show positive aspects of gays. Stories which don’t have people constantly mocking at gays ( most movies of Dharma productions laugh at gays and not with them).

I actually thought, since Karan has not married any woman, so, out of superiority, he showed the negative story of a gay man, who married a straight woman. A sensitive portrayal could have been the one that shows the husband as a victim too. Victim of his surrounding. Victim of his ignorance. Or victim of his lack of self-confidence. Painting them with broad black villainous color is not justified, I feel.

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brangan

February 10, 2017

ramitbajaj01: One, a storyteller’s responsibility it to tell a story, not consider the ramifications of the story. Because that way lies the road to politically correct narratives — and that’s a really slippery slope.

Two, life is huge and sprawling. A film (whether a short segment like the one in Bombay Talkies or a feature length film) can only show certain aspects of this life. I thought Randeep Hooda was shown as a really tortured man.

How he came to be this way, what were his teens like, was he bullied as a child for his effeminate ways — all these are no doubt part of his character sketch. And he may have very well asked these questions of Karan in order to get a grip on his character’s backstory and make certain acting choices. But not all of this needs to be in the narrative.

I thought he did come across as a victim, especially in the kissing scene. He played it so beautifully. The hunger of all these years. The confusion. The guilt of what he was doing. Everything was shown so beautifully by Hooda.

Yes, Rani is the “obvious” victim, but Hooda made me see his victimhood too.

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Anu Warrier

February 10, 2017

Ramit, I thought Randeep Hooda was the tortured, conflicted soul. I certainly didn’t see him as a villain. I’m surprised you did. I found that short sympathetic to both Rani and Randeep. Saquib Saleem is the catalyst, and this was the first time I actually appreciated what Karan could bring to the table. (Other than the fluffy entertainment.)

As a gay man who is still in the closet, and obviously forced to marry a woman (which is what happens to many gay men in our country) to whom he’s not sexually attracted, to find a young man to whom he is, and be forced to confront his own sexuality – even to himself? That, Ramit, is the story of many gay men. Certainly, an acquaintance saw himself in Hooda’s portrayal, went home, came out to his wife (arranged marriage; she didn’t know why her husband was so distant), and then went out and shot himself.

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Sifter

February 18, 2017

Found the book very emotional and moving, but when you think he is going to dig deeper, he flits on to another topic. Parts too repetitive as well.

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tonks

February 23, 2017

I sat and watched the Kangana – Saif episode on Koffee with Karan because it was being touted as the one where Kangana blasts Karan for nepotism. But though she does, and you have to admire her individuality, on the whole, she (surprisingly, for me) came across as a somewhat pretentious person without much of an ability to laugh at herself. Especially in contrast to Saif who came across as a really sweet, funny person.

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ramitbajaj01

February 23, 2017

I found the episode with Priyanka Chopra really good. She gives us a glimpse of why she is where she is today. Passionate, clever, witty.

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Anu Warrier

February 23, 2017

@tonks – phew! I thought I was the only one who found Kangna pretentious – which is sad in a way because I admire her guts, and her talent. I don’t know if it is because she’s still defensive.

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tonks

February 24, 2017

Yes, I think that in part its because she is defensive. Also, maybe because she is not too comfortable in English, she didn’t get some of the typical Karan brand of humour that Saif could easily repartee to. For instance, in the hamper round, she didn’t understand what he meant by skinny dipping. But it wasn’t only that, I think. I had set out to watch the episode all ready to adore her, but I admit I was a little disappointed.

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Gaah

February 24, 2017

Kangana definitely came across as mean spirited to me. Taking a dig at the host is one thing but burdening him with all your insecurities is something else.

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ramitbajaj01

February 24, 2017

I didn’t mind Kangana’s jibe at Karan. Maybe she indeed had suffered at Karan’s and Aditya’s hands. I didn’t find her accusations at them too outrageous. Yes, it was awkward that she was saying it directly at his face. But then it was important that she vented it all out. Maybe it could open room for the relationship to smoothen out. Especially when both the persons are mature, and crave for peace.

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tonks

March 5, 2017

http://english.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/movie-news/karan-johar-becomes-father-to-twins-via-surrogacy-bollywood-movies-entertainment-1.1776212

Unsuitable boy or not, I’m sure he will make a great dad. Happy for him.

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