Karan Johar admits backing Shraddha-Aditya's 'OK Jaanu' was a mistake
What's the story
Filmmaker Karan Johar has admitted to a miscalculation in backing the 2017 film OK Jaanu, starring Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur. While appearing on On Purpose with Jay Shetty, he reflected on how ignoring his gut instinct led him astray with this project. "Somewhere, the magic of the original we couldn't recapture," he confessed. The film was a remake of Mani Ratnam's Tamil hit O Kadhal Kanmani.
Remake reservations
'Can that moment be recaptured?'
Johar was unsure about the decision to remake O Kadhal Kanmani, which starred Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen. He said, "Should this film be remade? Because it's so much about that moment. Can that moment be recaptured?" Even though he had his reservations, he went ahead with OK Jaanu as it was a ready remake with Shaad Ali directing and Kapoor and Roy Kapur in lead roles.
Box office failure
'I knew deep down...': Johar on his instincts
Despite its star cast and director, OK Jaanu failed to perform at the box office. As per Sacnilk, it grossed ₹39.3 crore against a ₹27 crore budget and received negative reviews. Johar admitted that he knew deep down it wasn't the right move, but didn't act on it. "Even today, I sometimes don't listen to my instincts. And when I don't, I go wrong," he confessed during the podcast episode.
Learning from mistakes
'Every failure of mine is as special to me': Johar
Despite the disappointment with OK Jaanu, Johar doesn't shy away from owning up to his mistakes. "It wasn't anyone's fault. Everyone did their job well. But deep down, I knew it wasn't the right move-and I didn't act on it." He told Shetty, "Every failure of mine is as special to me as success. It's just the way I look at it." The filmmaker has always been open about his hits and flops and views every experience as a lesson.