I feel scared to raise a point in my film: Karan

Filmmaker Karan Johar, whose latest film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was caught in a controversy for featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, says while he continues to be “liberal” as a person, he has become “scared” of expressing his opinion freely.

“I’m a liberal. In a headspace, that is extremely progressive about many things. But I just feel like I can’t say anything. I feel like I’ve joined the herd mentality of the silent society,” Karan said on “Bollywood Roundtable 2016 with Rajeev Masand”.

“I feel scared to raise a point in my film, I feel scared to give an opinion and then I feel scared what’s going to happen during the release of my film,” added the filmmaker, who was under attack from right-wing Hindu outfits for casting a Pakistani actor in his movie.

Karan, known for his flamboyance and romantic dramas, says a filmmaker needs to go beyond just being behind the camera, to deal with actors. “Actors, according to me, are the most vulnerable, insecure human beings that exist. And I think it’s not possible for you to just deal with them professionally. From a very young age, I discovered you are their counsellor, their guide, their therapist, their everything,” added the filmmaker, who has a lot of friends in the industry and he gets them to open up on their secrets via his chat show ‘Koffee With Karan’.