Collaborations often are fodder for innovation and excellence. For creator Sumit Roy, the making of the Disney+ Hotstar series, Showtime, proved to be a testimony to this fact. The series sheds light on the behind the scene functioning of the film industry, the power tussle between insiders and outsiders and volatile nature of fame. Featuring in Showtime—produced by Karan Johar—are Emraan Hashmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Rajeev Khandelwal, and Mouni Roy, among others.

Roy shares that multiple discussions with his fellow writers about their own experiences in the industry gave birth to the primary characters, including producer Raghu Khanna, played by Hashmi. “Raghu is an arrogant producer. He is a prick and a bas#$@*. He is successful and a force of nature. And has a street vibe about it. [Luckily], Emraan also loved the script and was onboard,” explains Roy, adding that the character’s fearlessness matched that of Hashmi’s.

“This role requires a certain fearlessness because there’s a lot of grey and darkness in him. We wanted someone who has a certain swag and star credibility but is not afraid of delving into the darkness of the character and retrieving something that makes other people uncomfortable. Emraan just went for it without fear.”

Roy claims that it was while watching Hashmi in Shanghai (2013) that he first felt the impact of the actor’s versatility. Although he detests the word, he says that Hashmi is “an underrated actor”. “At the current stage of his career, Emraan is fearless. He will go the extra length if he is excited by the character. And that’s what he did on Showtime.”

It marks his third collaboration with Johar, following his work on the latter’s directorial Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Gehraiyaan (2022). Crediting Johar for his support and giving him free rein, Roy says, “He is a man who can take a joke on himself. He wants to know how things are changing and wants to surround himself with people who push him. Which is why he manages to reinvent himself and stays relevant.”

Roy was surprised when Johar took an interest in him and conversed for over an hour at their first encounter a few years ago. “I wondered why he would be interested in my work because I had only known his public persona. But when I went to meet him, which resulted in writing Takht for him, he spent one hour just talking about me,” he recalls.

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; May 25, 2019)

Yes, he’s known for all the glossy, glam, snazzy and stylish stuff we see on screen, but that’s only one aspect of his cinema. As Karan Johar rightly says, “I am a victim of my own image.” As a filmmaker, in the last few years, he’s backed some interesting movies like Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921), Raazi, Kesari and there’s more coming up from his platter — from biopics, a horror thriller to a fantasy film, and a historical drama. Today, as he turns another year older (and is bringing in his birthday in his favourite New York City), he tells us about his learnings over the past two decades, and how the world in and around cinema has grown and changed. And undoubtedly, he’s moved with the times, too, because in his own words, “being relevant is my mainstay.” This talkathon goes on long after the coffee is over, so let’s get started...

Last year, your production house had a great run with Raazi and Simmba. 2019 started with a film like Kesari, which grew from strength to strength. It was a war film, unlike anything that your production house has ever backed...
It was a challenge to put Kesari out there with the right dose of action, emotion and tell it the way it deserved to be told. It was such a brave narrative, and the one and only choice for the film was Akshay Kumar. There was nobody else who could play the protagonist with that kind of conviction. When the director, Anurag Singh, narrated the story to us, it gave us gooseflesh. We didn’t know what the outcome would be, as this was a new space for Dharma Productions; this was our first war film. Kesari is what it is, because of the passion and conviction of two men, Anurag Singh and Akshay Kumar.

For the longest time, you were known for making certain kinds of films, like romances, family dramas and stories in that zone. However, there has been a turn with the variety of projects that you are dabbling with now, with films like Raazi (2018), Kesari, Brahmastra, Takht…
I am a victim of my own image, in a way. I have produced a series of films which are against the grain of what people perceive Dharma Productions, my production house, to be, whether it is Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921), Raazi or Kesari. We have tried to break ground, and we have dealt with subjects ranging from infidelity and homosexuality to patriotism. We have covered the landscape in terms of genres in movies and yet, I am asked, ‘Oh, you make candy-floss films?’ I have decided to remain silent, because no matter what I do, the baggage of what I have done will never stop coming in the way of people’s perception of me. I know that I represent a certain kind of image, and I will always bear the brunt of that, no matter what I produce or direct.

This year we have an interesting line-up of releases with Good News (Akshay Kumar–Kareena Kapoor Khan), the untitled horror thriller (with Vicky Kaushal). Films like the Gunjan Saxena biopic (Janhvi Kapoor), the biopic on Captain Vikram Batra (Sidharth Malhotra), Brahmastra (Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt) and Sooryavanshi (Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif) are all work in progress and will see a 2020 release.

Is there a strategic plan in place to bring such movies to the table, which, as you said, covers the landscape of genres?
We want to tell stories that we strongly believe in. There are stories that will go right, and stories that will go wrong. I am not chasing stories where I want good-looking people in good-looking places. It’s not a strategic decision; instead, it is an organic decision that comes as a result of our love for cinema. I feel that there is a certain order of our times that has changed. Today, we are in a very high-content zone, if we do something that is been-there-done-that, it will not do great business. Kudos to the audience, they are making everyone in Indian cinema pull up their socks.

It is getting tougher to get large volumes of audience to the theatre. Today, the moviegoers want far more value for their buck and filmmakers can’t rely on a stars’ fandom anymore. Would you agree?
We are in the toughest space now, films don’t open anymore. If the audience likes the film, over time, it grows. Gone are those bumper opening days, where the audience would stand in a queue to buy tickets. It is a thing of the past. The south film industry still has a loyal fan base, we don’t. And that is because we have treated our fans so badly with the content that we have dished out, that we don’t deserve their love anymore. We have to win their love all over again. So now, what makes a difference to the film’s success are these three words — ‘word of mouth’. That has become the biggest marketing tool. We can dance at malls, we can run around town with the cast of our movie as much as we want to, but eventually, word of mouth is what could take your film towards the victory line. Today, only two kinds of films work — high concept or big event. If the big event goes right, like it did with Baahubali, then nothing like it! By high concept, I mean a film like Badhaai Ho. So, you need to have either one of those, whatever lies in between…no one is interested in that. There was a time when people would say, ‘Oh, some films are critic-proof.’ There is also nothing like that anymore.

Yes, everyone has an opinion on movies, and it’s out there, on chat groups, posts on social media, it’s everywhere…
(Cuts in) On the morning that your film releases, you have thousands of websites writing about your film, and everyone is a critic. Films are sparking so much conversation. On the day my film hits the theatres, from my building’s security man, my school friends, relatives, neighbours…everyone is texting and giving their opinion. And I am thinking to myself, I haven’t even asked you? (laughs!). Maybe that’s great, as the universe is throwing it at our faces, and telling us, ‘Listen, if you are putting something out there, you better make it good. Or don’t make it at all’.

With Takht, you are back in the director’s seat after three years. And it’s a film rooted in history and set in the Mughal era, a subject that we have never seen you associate with...
It is a lesser known fact that I am obsessed with history. Through my college years, I read a lot about history, and the Mughal era has always fascinated me, as it was such a majestic and menacing period. I have read several books on it and so many interpretations of it. I was always keen on making a film set in this period, and when Sumit Roy, who is a historian and the screenplay writer of the film, came up with a beautiful narrative embedded in this era, I was drawn towards it. This is the first film where I haven’t written a single line of the screenplay, which many might believe is a good thing, but I am okay with it. Hopefully, I won’t be criticised about making another film about rich people, because we can’t deny that the Mughals were rich at the time they ruled, and I can’t change history (laughs!). At its core, it’s a strong, emotional family story. The film will go on the floors by the end of the year, and I hope that I can bring such a strong narrative to life through the movie.

A few years ago, in an interview, you had told us, “I think the biggest reason why most directors take so much time to make their movies is their fear of failure. We are so nervous about holding on and maintaining our equity. I am very afraid of failure. I feel more accountable than upset.” With time, would you say your fears have lessened? Have you become more comfortable about taking risks and braver about your choices?
I have stopped fearing failure. I try to accept it, embrace it and make it my biggest teacher. Every time I succeed, I feel relieved, but every time I fail, I feel more energised. I have a new spring in my step. We all know that Kalank didn’t work, and post that I analysed it. We all felt that the film was special. Yes, we know that it was not accepted by the audience, but it does not take away from the fact that we have learnt from it. We sat down and spoke about it and said… ‘Okay, maybe there is a reason that this has happened’. Sometimes, you can’t find the reason for your success, but there is always a reason for failure.

Has this come with experience, age and maturity? Would you have dealt with the failure of a film the same way ten years ago?
Yes, I guess experience does make a difference. Post Kalank, I felt that I was standing tall as the leader of that pack and trying to control the energies of everyone. You have to stand tall with your team in times of failure, though it is harder. If you are leading the team, your energy is most critical. You can’t start falling apart and appear shaken up. You have to say…Let’s grow from here, and let’s emerge stronger. That’s what we all did together. When I made Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (KANK), it was met with such polarised responses. I made KANK after the success of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. I was much younger then, and I felt slightly invincible. When your film is not loved universally by the audience, it is not easy to deal with it. Now, after so many years, I have people coming up to me and telling me what they liked about the film, and how they didn’t like it when they saw it back then.

Sometimes, films live on. They don’t possibly make the cut commercially at that point of time for various reasons, but if a film is strong, it will live on. Box office numbers are a tag, but films are forever. We cannot remember films just for its BO tag, we have to remember films for what they create. If you have forgotten a film after two decades, then it probably wasn’t worthy of being remembered. A film has to rise above its BO status. Look, films are a tough business. We are the only industry which is judged on the same day by the whole world. Everyone, including your friends, family, neighbours and peer know your success or failure. It is exhausting at the end of it and that’s why so many people in the industry can fall off the edge. But you got to keep your chin up and move on.

A few years ago, you had said that as you were growing older, you felt the need to direct more films. But now, your quantity of work, as a producer is more...
I made the choice to turn my production house into an active studio. Yes, it could be at the cost of me not directing as many films. I have made eight films, but if I directed a film every two years, and along with that, just did some reality shows, I’d be a richer man. I chose the other path, as it was my way to contribute more to cinema. You can judge my cinema, you can hate me, you can love me, but I think I have earned the privilege…that the one thing you will not be is, indifferent to me. I think not being indifferent is being relevant and being relevant is my mainstay.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; November 10, 2018)

Karan Johar has managed a casting coup of sorts for his ambitious project, Takht. The historical drama, which goes on floors next August, stars Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Anil Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar and Janhvi Kapoor. Ask the maverick filmmaker what appealed to him about the subject and he says, “I’m obsessed with the Mughal era. As a child, history was my favourite subject. I know many who would look at me with scornful eyes, but it’s the truth. I love reading books and studying what historians had to say about the period. There’s one segment in the entire dynasty that captured my attention and Takht is based on that.” Karan is happy with the eclectic line-up of actors for the period venture. He says, “There were some challenges over the casting, but we overcame that. I’m thrilled with the ensemble that I have in place for Takht. It’s my first with many of the cast members, besides Kareena and Alia. It has a beautiful mix of stars and actors.”

‘Ranveer has great energy’
This is KJo’s first association with Ranveer. He mentions, “Ranveer has great energy. Over a period of time, we have become the best of friends and we can share almost everything now. I’m excited to work with him because not only is he one of the finest actors that we have in this generation, but he also adds a mad, positive vibe to anything he does and I just love that.”

‘Bebo is my favourite’
Takht also reunites the filmmaker with his ‘best friend’ Kareena, whom he had last directed in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001). “I’m equally excited about working with Bebo after so long. She is my favourite. We’re just a phone call away for each other. I can’t think of anyone else for the character that Kareena plays in the historical. I’m sure the audience will feel the same when they watch the movie,” he asserts.

‘Takht is my most ambitious film’
The multi-faceted personality calls this his ‘most ambitious film.’ He states that helming this period drama is a challenge for him as he hasn’t written it. “This is the first time I haven’t penned a movie that I’m directing. It’s been written by Sumit Roy and Hussain Haidri has done the dialogues. That sense of detachment will make it exciting for me. Also, I have never felt more passionate about a single project than Takht. It makes me feel like I’m 20 again,” he exclaims.