My cast took the title too seriously: KJo

This is Karan Johar’s big day. His film, We Are Family — the third Dharma Productions release this year after My Name Is Khan and I Hate Luv Storys, opens to an audience whose appetite and curiosity has already been whetted and stirred respectively by its endearing promos.
Bollywood hasn’t had a quintessential family film in a long while. And, to my mind, the anticipation of what might happen at the box-office to this film directed by Siddharth Malhotra ought to have reduced Karan to a nervous state.Not so. I found him sipping, well, coffee in his Khar office, relaxed and happy one evening earlier this week. “The final marketing of a film is the film itself — word of mouth,” he said, “and I believe in this product, I think it has legs, though few films last beyond their opening weekend nowadays, they don’t have staying power, they lack longevity.”
His confidence is based on his super star cast, led by that great actress Kajol and supported by the lovely Kareena Kapoor and hunky Arjun Rampal. “If Kajol had not done We Are Family, I wouldn’t have made it,” Karan declared. “The mother’s role is the fulcrum in the film — the pillar, she’s got shades of white and grey, there is an undertone of jealousy and envy in her. Only an actress with a high emotional quotient could have played the role without alienating the audience.
And I knew, a takkar ka actress like Kareena would be required to combat Kajol. Two powerhouse actresses make great celluloid conflict. Though I feel terrible to say, on the sets they got on like a house on fire, there was no fight between them, they had such fun. They became one big A-Team. I’ve never seen two women get on so well. I think they took the title too seriously!”
He gives Arjun full marks as well. “Full credit,” admitted Karan, “he not only found his bearings on the set, he held his own. Arjun has that body language of a parent. Kajol and he are so good with kids, it comes organically to them, this is not acting... it’s not artificial or synthetic, it’s in their DNA.” He didn’t say it, but it struck me that even Kareena was playing a role that she is not unaccustomed to in real life as, umnn, stepmom to Saif Ali Khan’s children Sarah and Ibrahim. Karan shrugged at the coincidence, “Kareena’s given perhaps the most dignified performance of her career. The film is open to the audience’s opinions and thoughts, of course, but there is no question about any of the performances.”
Having said that, the filmmaker in him couldn’t resist sharing thoughts on We Are Family with me. “It’s a progressive film that needed to be handled with a lot of care,” explained Karan. “There’s an ex-wife, the current girlfriend, and kids... I have friends in the same situation, and I know how awkward it is for them, in fact they suggested I hold a show specially for them! But, yes, it was tough making this film because we are in denial of infidelity — it happens but we don’t want to see it, and I had to maintain the traditional ethos of our culture. However, there isn’t one squirmy moment.
My friends said, ‘Wish we could do this in our lives’.” He himself, wept like a baby when he first saw the film. I asked why he made it, then! And Karan Johar replied, “Because I don’t know what else to do. Where else can you cry, sing and dance and yet be at work!”
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