Director Neeraj Ghaywan, whose critically acclaimed film Homebound was recently chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars, has spoken out in defence of producer Karan Johar after the latter’s comments on the film’s box-office performance stirred controversy online.
Although Homebound has received glowing reviews, its commercial performance has been modest. Karan Johar, whose Dharma Productions backed the project, recently remarked on the financial realities of filmmaking — a statement that was widely criticised and, according to Neeraj, taken out of context.
Neeraj Ghaywan backs Karan Johar
In a conversation with Lallantop Cinema, Neeraj expressed disappointment at the backlash against Karan, stressing that the filmmaker’s intentions were genuine. ‘See, he has such a big production banner, he is such a big producer, he has no need to back a film like this. And he is also aware that the film won’t be a big blockbuster, it won’t earn profits for him. But the emotional ethos of the film had touched him, that’s why he decided to stand by the film. He used to say that I just want to be a part of it in some way. Now to see people questioning his honesty, casting aspersions on him, it really breaks my heart.’
Neeraj added that the online outrage might discourage major producers from supporting meaningful cinema in the future. ‘Presenting something what he said somewhere by completely misquoting and misconstruing it, that can totally break his morale, this is like undervaluing the contribution he has made to the film. I’m very disturbed by seeing all this. In fact, this is such a big moment that a big banner like his has decided to make a sensitive film like this with an independent filmmaker. We should actually pat their back for doing this and encourage them to make such films. But if we do this, then it will only break their spirit and such films won’t be made in future. I request everyone to think about this and understand that what he said has been completely flipped around.’
Clarifying Karan’s original remarks, Neeraj explained that they were made purely from a business standpoint. ‘What he said was completely from a business perspective, that perhaps now he will think before deciding what he will make next. He never said he won’t make a film like Homebound again.’
Neeraj also praised Karan’s unwavering support throughout the film’s journey. ‘I want to tell you one thing about him is that the final product that you are watching now, after all the negotiations with the Censor Board (CBFC), the credit for all that goes to him.’
He recalled how deeply Karan had connected with the story. ‘He told me that this is your story, you decide the way you want to tell it, I’m always there with you, standing by your side. He was there with me every single moment. And I can say this with most honesty that without him, this film wouldn’t have been made.’
Neeraj further revealed that discussions are already underway for their next collaboration. ‘He is continuously giving me ideas about what we can make next. So he is there with me and our collaboration is now going to be of many more movies.’
What Karan Johar had said
Karan Johar’s initial comments were made during an appearance on Komal Nahta’s YouTube show Game Changers, where he discussed Dharma Productions’ Rs 1,000-crore deal with Adar Poonawalla’s Serene Productions. Speaking about balancing creativity and commerce, Karan had said:
‘Now, you have to take every decision with profitability. It is very important to be profitable. We are a commercial enterprise. I made Homebound, critically acclaimed worldwide, but I can’t say if I’ll take such decisions in the future or not. I will feel upset, but I chose this deal for a reason – growth. Growth comes from profit, and profit comes from profitability. I will always be artistic, but it is important to be commercial as well.’
Karan Johar’s clarification
After the remark sparked backlash, Karan took to Instagram to clarify that his statement had been ‘misquoted.’ He wrote: ‘I am and will always be exceptionally proud of Homebound… it will always shine in our repertoire of films as one of our finest and most sensitively performed and directed films…. We are actively working towards making our film get a large audience and presence on a global stage and are thrilled with the day-on-day increase in domestic footfalls as well…’