Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar recently shared his thoughts on SS Rajamouli's filmmaking style, and stated that the celebrated director's films thrive not on logic but on sheer conviction. In an interview, Karan said he believes that a strong belief in one's story, no matter how unreasonable it may seem, is the key ingredient for box-office success.
Speaking on Komal Nahata’s YouTube show Game Changers, the filmmaker said, "Conviction is very important. If you look at anything, especially if you analyse the journey of the best filmmakers, you’ll see that the biggest hits are built on conviction."
Karan Johar: Conviction is very important
He cited Rajamouli's films as prime examples, adding, "Logic doesn’t matter in a film. Take any film by Rajamouli sir, for example. Where do you see logic? You only see conviction. And when conviction comes to the forefront, even the audience believes in it."
Expanding on his argument, Karan referenced the success of films like Animal, RRR, and Gadar 2, all of which, according to him, were driven by conviction rather than realism.
Karan also pointed to one of Bollywood's most iconic moments - the hand pump scene from Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) - to explain his point. "Look at the biggest films - whether it’s Animal, RRR, or Gadar - these films are made with conviction. If you can defeat a thousand people with a single hand pump, that’s conviction, right? Anil Sharma believes that Sunny Deol can do this. That is pure conviction," he explained.
During the conversation, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani director also elaborated on how faith in a story can turn any film into a blockbuster. He stressed that filmmakers should avoid second-guessing their audience or doubting their vision. Instead, their focus should remain on executing their narrative with confidence.
"Conviction is something I want every filmmaker to have in their DNA because then, I believe, we can make any film a blockbuster. The only problem arises when you start doubting yourself, second-guessing the audience, and focusing too much on logic," he added.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Karan's next production venture is Nadaaniyan which will mark Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh's son Ibrahim Ali Khan's debut. The movie, which also stars Khushi Kapoor, is slated to release on an OTT platform.
Also, off late, Karan has been in the news because his body transformation and drastic weight loss.
