Karan ki Kurbaani

Both Kurbaan and New York are about terrorism, but that doesn’t mean they have the same story.

The backdrop of global terrorism is the common factor, but the narrative structure and the characters are very different in the two films. Adi and I are best friends so we aren’t stupid to make films with the same story. I hope audiences like Kurbaan,’ clarifies Karan Johar.

Kabhie Alvida Naa Kehna in 2006 was the last film KJo directed and MNIK is now in post production to release in 2010. In the meanwhile, Wake Up Sid! and Dostana were only produced by him and directed by newcomers Ayan Mukerji and Tarun Mansukhani respectively. ‘Tarun, Ayan and Siddarth Malhotra have assisted me on my films. So I know them. I always choose my ADs after immense consideration because I don’t want people simply occupying space in my office. They have to be talented and they have to stay. I don’t want them to do one film with Dharma and leave. I am only going to work with new directors and some of them have a three-film contract with Dharma. I don’t want to work with established directors,’ he says, adding, ‘I am very happy with the results of Wake Up Sid! and Dostana and excited about the upcoming films.’

Karan had the plot of Kurbaan ready way back in 2001 and the film was going to be called Kaal. Sanjay Dutt, SRK and Tabu were to be part of it but the film never materialized. ‘That Kaal never got made. I shared the story idea with Rensil and he built a screenplay around it, which resulted in Kurbaan starring Saif and Kareena. From the onset, we wanted them to star in it. I love the way the film has turned out,’ comments Karan.

About Kurbaan’s director, Rensil D’silva, KJo says, ‘Rensil and I first interacted on the screenplay and story of Kurbaan. I felt that he had a desire to direct a film and I respected his aesthetics and writing, so that is how Kurbaan happened.’