Karan Johar (KJ) recently addressed some critical aspects of his film "Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani," which stars Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. He acknowledged that the film's communication didn't effectively reach the audience before its release. The movie received initial criticism for its music and the perceived lack of chemistry between the lead actors.
During an interview, Karan responded to these concerns. He believes that the film’s music will gain more appreciation now that audiences have the proper context to understand it. Karan was prepared for comparisons to be drawn with the iconic Bollywood pair Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, and he wasn’t overly concerned about comments regarding Alia and Ranveer’s chemistry.
Regarding the criticism of the chemistry between the lead actors, Karan stated that he didn’t understand where it came from as he believed they had brilliant chemistry. He acknowledged that comparisons would be made, but he still wanted to fulfill his desire to shoot a love song in Kashmir.
Karan also addressed the negative reception of the film’s music. He expressed confidence in the talent of the music composer Pritam and lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya, and he believes that audiences will eventually appreciate the songs once they have the context of the film.
Karan revealed that the first cut of the film was over three hours long, and he had to be ruthless in the editing process. Responding to complaints about the second half being preachy, he explained that it was challenging to strike a balance due to the multiple characters needing closure. He decided to retain some elements of “wobbliness” or “bloatedness” to maintain the payoff for each character.
To ensure a smooth narrative flow, Karan truncated the songs, feeling that audiences could watch them on YouTube later. Despite some regret over reducing the final wedding number, “Kudmayi,” to the end credits, he made the decision as the film’s producer.
“Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani,” featuring Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bachchan, and others, has received mostly positive reviews and has performed well at the box office, crossing Rs 50 crore in India within four days and approaching the Rs 100 crore mark worldwide.
