Karan Johar on Shah Rukh Khan's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna: 'Wish We Had Packaged It Differently'

Karan Johar stands as one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the Bollywood industry. He recently expressed his desire to revisit one of his directorial endeavours, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. The film boasts a stellar cast, including Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, and Preity Zinta. It failed to garner acclaim from critics and drew scrutiny for its perceived endorsement of infidelity. While speaking to a leading media outlet, KJo expressed his sentiments about the 2006 film. He further shared why he wishes he could have approached it differently.

During an interview with The Week, Karan Johar was confronted with the challenging question of a film he wished he hadn’t produced or had approached differently, to which the acclaimed filmmaker candidly chose his 2006 movie, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. Elaborating on his decision, he shared, “It is a tough question because I will hurt the person who made it. Some films were emotional decisions. The only film I wish we had packaged differently was Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. I tried to bring commercial elements like big song sets and massive stars, but it is an intimate film. If I could make this film again, I will correct it.”

The filmmaker also addressed a prominent criticism associated with the film, stating, “People said I endorsed infidelity through Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, but I said you can’t endorse something that’s already sold out.”

Karan has previously expressed regrets about Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. At a press event in 2016, he openly admitted that it is a flawed film, attributing the mistakes entirely to himself. According to him, he tried to do something innovative but got scared midway.

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna is a 2006 romantic drama directed and written by Karan Johar, in collaboration with Shibani Bathija. The film was produced by Karan Johar’s mother, Hiroo Yash Johar, under the banner of Dharma Productions. The film delves into themes of marital infidelity and dysfunctional relationships, and it was promoted with the intriguing tagline, “A Love… That Broke All Relationships.”

On the professional front, Karan Johar has an exciting lineup of projects in the pipeline. He is set to direct the TV series Call Me Bae, featuring Ananya Panday and Varun Dhawan. The series revolves around a billionaire fashionista who is disowned by her rich family due to a salacious scandal.