“I have never felt more proud,” says Karan Johar, speaking about SOTY

Karan Johar

Dharma Productions honcho, Karan Johar, has been known to draw up big budgets, roping in larger-than-life stars for all of his stories. After having directed Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and My Name Is Khan (2010), all packing Bollywood bigwigs including the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Kajol and Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar stepped away from his usual mix for his upcoming film titled Student of the Year.

A campus romance to be precise, the film stars newcomers Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. This however didn’t keep Karan from setting an equally high budget for the film. The movie is just as glamorous and glitzy as his previous releases and has launched Siddharth, Varun and Alia. When asked about his choice of actors for latest directorial venture, Karan said, “In a star-ridden industry such as ours, launching new talents on such a large scale is always a risk. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. I have never felt more proud.” He went on to add, “After all, there are just as many people who are big and up there. So unless we take the onus, and leverage our position to create new stars, we’ll be running dry soon. I have never worked with newcomers before. But I realized it was time and took up the challenge,” says Karan.

Besides discovering these promising newcomers, Karan Johar has also groomed and trained them, helping them master the trade of acting on the silver screen. The director has played the role of a mentor, coaching Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt for the film.  Quoting Karan Johar, “Hindi cinema has taken a quantum leap in every aspect of its functioning.”