“Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan’s Cinema Damaged The Cultural Fabric Of India,” Claims Vivek Agnihotri —
During an interview with DNA, Vivek Agnihotri stated, “After the rise of Amitabh Bachchan as a megastar—not the one portrayed in ‘Deewar,’ but the one from ‘Shehanshah’—cinema failed to depict genuine stories. Specifically, the movies by Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan have had a disastrous impact on India’s cultural fabric. Thus, it became crucial for me to narrate authentic and truthful stories.”
“My films belong to the people, while theirs are blockbuster hits. When their movies succeed, it is considered Shah Rukh Khan’s triumph. In contrast, my victory is owed to the audience. We stand at opposite poles: the North and South Poles. Although I hold immense respect for him, our relationship often mirrors a complex dynamic, similar to that of ‘Shakti’ or ‘Deewar,’ where love coexists with disparity. I leave it up to you to decide who plays the role of the police officer and who is the smuggler in our narrative,” he chuckled.
Bollywood director Vivek Agnihotri has taken another dig at filmmaker Karan Johar and actor Shah Rukh Khan. It is not the first time, but since the huge success of The Kashmir Files, Vivek has often made headlines with his straightforward comments. Now, the director has openly slammed Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan for their movies.
Speaking to DNA, Vivek Agnihotri shared, “After the advent of Amitabh Bachchan as a superstar—not the one from Deewar but one from Shehanshah—the cinema after that never told real stories. Especially Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan’s cinema, which has actually damaged the cultural fabric of India in a very disastrous way. So, I felt it was important to tell real, honest stories.”
“My films belong to the people; theirs are box office hits. When their film succeeds, it’s Shah Rukh Khan’s success. In contrast, my triumph belongs to the audience. We stand at two opposing poles: the North and South Poles. As much as I respect him, sometimes our relationship resembles a complex dynamic, akin to ‘Shakti’ or ‘Deewar,’ where love coexists with disparity. You decide who is the police officer and who is the smuggler in our narrative (laughs),” he laughed.
