Johar has always been vocal about his fear of horror films, but his new Netflix anthology is a full-fledged horror affair called Ghost Stories, which he has directed along with his allies from Bombay Talkies and Lust Stories – Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar and Dibakar Banerjee. Interestingly, he was the one to pitch the idea of a horror anthology to the team.
“I think I dug my own grave by doing so. I initially wondered why I put myself in this position, but I took up the challenge and hopefully, I’ve delivered something that would be loved by the people. After all, nothing ventured is nothing gained.”
Excerpts:
You are known for the grandeur and glitz in your films. How do you see that existing in horror?
I didn’t approach my part of the anthology with a desire to make it grand, I just decided to go with the narrative. I do have my own sense of aesthetics, which might have crept into the narrative. I didn’t start working on the film with an aim to make it a spectacle. I do understand why people feel so, but it is the inherent story, intrigue within the narrative that I was chasing. In my case, I was never in a comfortable space directing a horror film. So, I was just combating the challenge and trying to tell the story in the best way possible. The peripheries of scale and budget didn’t even enter my vision.
But it does have your signature elements like a big family and a grand wedding?
I wanted the story to start with a wedding. Even in Lust Stories, there was a wedding in the beginning. I guess I like getting people married. And when they do so, I want it to look pretty. Unlike in my other films, the problem in Ghost Stories isn’t within the couple, but it’s because of something supernatural around them.
Do you think the anthology franchise is redefining your image as a filmmaker?
I think people perceive me to be a certain kind of filmmaker and no matter what I do. Though I have done Bombay Talkies, Lust Stories and now, Ghost Stories, I am still fighting hard to break that perception. I am not just a fluffy, frivolous filmmaker who makes films with songs and dances, featuring good-looking people and places. I can go bats**t crazy trying to break that image, but that ain’t changing in this lifetime, I guess.
How do you see the International Emmy Award nomination for Lust Stories?
We all felt that being nominated among the best of the world was an achievement by itself. All the effort we had put in our craft got a proper validation as it got noticed by people from a different country. More than any other awards or nomination, the Emmy will always hold a special place in my heart. Your segment in Lust Stories may have faced censor cuts, had the film been a theatrical release.
Do you see OTT platforms as a boon?
I think we look at Netflix and other OTT services as platforms of liberation. But that’s not the right way to approach it. A filmmaker can‘t say, ‘Oh, I can’t show sex or a certain tonality in cinema, and break the conservative barriers. So, let me do that on digital.’ I believe digital platforms empower filmmakers to tell unique stories. Theatrical releases are so dependent on the box office hits, and this stops a filmmaker from making certain decisions. You have been presenting South Indian films in Hindi.
Is it a conscious effort to bridge the gap between the industries?
I feel very sad that we have a gap in the first place. We must all make Indian films forgetting lingual barriers – the need of the hour. I am a huge Rajamouli fan. I have seen all his films and celebrated his cinema. I was so excited about the opportunity to present Baahubali. I guess, that bridged the gap to an extent.
Whenever I like a film in any language, I put my brand on it and make sure it gets viewed across India.
Lust Stories, Ghost Stories... what next?
We are delving with so many ideas. Perhaps crime stories, marriage stories, comedy stories or even a sequel to Lust Stories, who knows?
We’ll have to discuss it with Netflix before making an announcement.
Catch Ghost Stories on Netflix.