Karan Johar reveals he paid people to praise his average films

Ace filmmaker Karan Johar in his recent interview made some startling revelations on the changing strategies of the film business. At a roundtable with Galatta Plus, Karan said the positive reviews of films are created for the perception of a hit. He said that people who give out reviews in front of cameras after film screenings have extreme opinions for their reaction to go viral. He said that similarly, filmmakers also send their own PR to praise the film. “But sometimes, we also as PR send our own people to praise the film, that also happens,” he said.

Explaining why such techniques are used, he said, "See, sometimes you’re also struggling to make a mark. Many a times you want to put out good videos. As a producer, you will do every last-ditch attempt to make your film be heard. So, while I may critique criticism, I’m also riding on their backs when they praise a film. I can come across as two-faced, but I am very well doing that as a person. I am changing as per films. Some films work on their own, I can be like ‘let me take the high ground’. Yeh average ja rahi hai isko hit perception banao (if the film is doing average, you need to create the perception of a hit).”“A producer’s job starts when the film releases and he has to take it through like a warrior. It’s the middle order film that you have to fight for, that you have to create an aura, energy perception. Sometimes you give four lines of praise for the film and then everyone is using those same four lines. Then you know it has been bought,” he added and called it an ‘interesting exercise.’ Meanwhile, on the work front, Karan's last directorial venture Rocky aur Ranni Ki Prem Kahani created a lot of buzz at the box-office upon its release. The film starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt was a major success starring veterans like Shabana Azmi and Dharmendra.