Anurag Kashyap says people think his downfall began when he ‘shook hands’ with Karan Johar: ‘You sold out’

Karan Johar played the antagonist in Bombay Velvet.

Karan Johar might be remembered for his small but memorable role in Aditya Chopra’s Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, but his acting chops were on full display in Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet. In the film, he essayed the role of Kaizad Khambatta, a flamboyant Parsi media mogul and the central antagonist of the story. As sharp-witted as he was on screen, Karan’s acting career, unfortunately, never quite took off, a fact he still often regrets, particularly because the film bombed at the box office.  However, in the lead-up to its release, there was growing curiosity about what Karan Johar was doing in an “Anurag Kashyap work.” The anticipation, however, soon turned into controversy, with many questioning Kashyap’s decision to cast him.

Speaking exclusively to SCREEN, Kashyap opened up about the backlash he faced. “People saw me and Karan as rivals, as two different ends of a spectrum. Him doing that film was also kind of disappointing for many people. A lot of those who used to follow my work felt that I had sold out, that I was making a film with a star and with Karan Johar involved. Whatever it was, that became the story from then on, and it still persists. Even now, people say that my downfall happened because I ‘shook hands’ with Karan. And I’m like, what do you mean by shaking hands? We did a film together.”

Anurag Kashyap was was highly impressed by Karan Johar’s acting in the film.

Anurag Kashyap added that casting Karan Johar was a choice that felt completely natural. “He was very natural for the role. He doesn’t believe it, but I think he was fantastic with what he did there. But unfortunately, the film didn’t work.” The filmmaker also revealed that the film’s failure affected his relationships with his co-stars, particularly Ranbir Kapoor. “I think Ranbir was very upset that, and he keeps saying, ‘Why do you keep talking about Bombay Velvet? Just ignore it. The film didn’t work, it didn’t work, but you don’t have to talk about it all the time.’ But people ask me questions all the time, how can I just ignore that?”

Reflecting on the immediate aftermath of the film’s release, Kashyap admitted that it was difficult to confront his co-stars. “We don’t meet often. Whenever we meet, we just hug and greet each other. And at the beginning, I just didn’t know how to face them because they had given me a lot of trust and love. And I was dealing with my own demons. So I needed to come out of that and make a very small film. I was very focused on Raman Raghav. But slowly, I think, we became distant.”