'We're All Liars': Karan Johar Admits Bollywood Misreports Box Office Numbers

Karan Johar also opened up about the challenges of being an Indian filmmaker.

Karan Johar opened up on various subjects during a conversation at the Express Adda event in Mumbai on Monday, 21 August. The filmmaker, who recently made his comeback on the big screen with Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, spoke about the challenges of being an Indian filmmaker and how the introduction of OTT has changed things.

Speaking about how the box office numbers in Bollywood are sometimes misreported. The filmmaker said, "We are all liars. We are all big, fat liars. The industry sometimes fudges up box office numbers as well."

Expressing his thoughts on Indian cinema, Karan shared during the conversation, "Indian cinema, which doesn't get enough credit for it, is that we're the most individualistic of all cinemas. We have an interval; we break our narrative, much like in theatre. It's so difficult to make a successful Indian film. Because you actually stop your narrative; you eat your popcorn; you chat with each other; you block the narrative, and then you start it again. So you have to go back to the film and take it again on the high that you left at that point. That's why I feel it is so much more challenging."

Karan also shared how OTT has changed things in the past year. He shared at the Express Adda event, "I don't think OTT content is a threat to cinema. I believe that one empowers the other. I believe that writers are so empowered on streaming platforms because it's a writers medium - it always has been that way. The series format is the writers' medium. The OTT format is totally different from the film format. There's more characterization, there's more detailing, and it's over a period of eight episodes. It's a totally different journey than watching a film."

Meanwhile, on the work front, Karan recently attended the 14th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne as a member of the inauguration panel. The filmmaker has also been invited by the Academy of Motion Pictures and Arts to become a member.