Reading Karan
Johar’s autobiography is like watching one of his movies: you remain riveted to
it from beginning till end. It may be a
world that’s quite different from the one you are used to. The grandeur is dreamlike. But the sorrows are more real and touching
though not deeply enough. It’s
entertaining as much as a steaming cup of coffee or occasionally a drink of
Scotch on the rocks. And you know that a
coffee or Scotch is not going to be much of a classic.
The book begins
with a self-deprecating account of the author’s childhood. We see Karan as a chubby boy who was teased for
being a “pansy” or who could not survive in a boarding school beyond a couple
of days or so. The young Karan was not
very promising in any way so much so that his mother was alarmed enough to lament
that he was just “ a mediocre student” who had no interest in anything
particularly and one who could not even make friends.
Karan entered
Bollywood without much difficulty, thanks to his father’s reputation
there. The book would make us think that
becoming a success in Bollywood is not a big deal. Karan has not gone deep into the issues that
make Bollywood a teeming cauldron. But there
are a lot of interesting details – like the entertaining antics of a Shah Rukh
Khan, Karan’s favourite actor and long time friend – that engage us though not
involve us.
It fails to
involve us because Karan doesn’t actually seem to believe in anything profound about
life. “In this world, your only
barometer is wealth and money,” says Karan unabashedly. He admits that he loves luxury and the upper
classes. He cannot make movies about the
poor and the oppressed. He can empathise
with them, he says; but we never see any evidence for the empathy, however. The book makes us feel that he is floating
through life like a well-equipped luxury cruise ship.
Karan has an
inborn talent. He can engage the
audience whether in the movie or in a book’s narrative. That makes the book an engaging read. There’s more.
He is as candid as possible for one who wants to say things without
hurting others. He speaks frankly about his sexual orientations and
inclinations, his friendships and dislikes.
In the last
chapter, ‘Bollywood Today,’ he speaks candidly about the three Khans who
dominate the industry even today. He has
all admiration for them. He stands in
awe before the “mysterious” Amitabh Bachchan.
He would prefer to have the younger generation a little more open and genuinely
expressive. “They don’t allow you to get
to know them,” he complains. “You don’t
know what they really are as people” unlike the Khans who speak out their views
in interviews.
There is a generation
gap, it seems. Karan writes, “I find
sometimes when you ask this generation a question, there’s no coherence in the
answer. You’ve asked a question and they’ve
gone into something else altogether. And
they laugh at their own jokes, which are not funny. They have nothing clever to say. It’s so sad.
Some of them are supreme talents, yet they have nothing to say.”
Karan’s
verdict is right, I think. But Karan
himself could have said more in the book and made it a classic of sorts. He has the supreme talent. And cleverness
too. Why did he draw the line then? I guess the younger ones are drawing the
lines for very similar reasons. Maybe a
time will come when they master the maturity as well as success required for
the kind of candidness that Karan displays.
Before the
Epilogue, the book carries some photographs.
It’s nice to see Karan as a child, little boy, young man and then with
his friends in the industry.
I particularly
liked the last sentence of the book: “Death doesn’t scare me, life sometimes
does.” I wish Karan had made that
scariness of life a little more vivid in the narrative.
I want to read this book too......Your review encourages me to do that.....
ReplyDeleteKaran is a loveable person.
DeleteI read the book a few weeks back.I found it honest and real,certainly better than his movies which I feel are glossy and entertaining but pointless.I like his talk show better.
ReplyDeleteHe is honest and real but a bit hesitant to go into the depths.
DeleteHeard about this book and now interested to read after this review.
ReplyDeleteThe e-book is available at a heavily discounted price at Amazon.
DeleteAlthough directly not related, I wanted to know your process behind reviewing a book. Do you highlight things that interests you while reading for the review? I have always loved your book reviews for their interlinking with philosophy, politics, universe and every other thing.
ReplyDeleteI approach the book more or less with the mind of a literary critic. My expectations from a book must be interfering too 😊
DeleteIntrigued to go for the book.
ReplyDeleteGo ahead is my suggestion.
DeleteSeems to be an interesting read. Definitely on To Read List.
ReplyDeleteAll the best.
DeleteThanks for your review. The book, indeed, is a pleasant read.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Sangeeta.
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Interesting review Sir. I find Karan Johar to be a very entertaining personality. Although many peope believe he comes across as flippant many times; yet I think he has to have a certain strength of character- for him to have overcome the difficult aspects.
ReplyDeleteHis quick wit and sense of humour makes people think he is flippant whereas in reality he is intelligent.
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