Filmmaker Karan Johar, known for his modern contributions to cinema, began his directorial career with "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai." Last year, he released "Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani." Today, on his 52nd birthday, let's explore his top 10 favorite films that inspired him to become a filmmaker.
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00:00 I have been watching films since childhood and I used to cry when I was a kid
00:03 that please take me to the cinema and show me the movie.
00:06 It used to be the biggest high of my life.
00:08 If there is any other derivative of Indian cinema,
00:11 if there is any other word, then it's Sholay.
00:12 Sholay is not a film, it's a book.
00:15 I saw a film in June, Lagaan.
00:17 And I realized that cinema has changed.
00:20 A different sensibility has come into cinema.
00:23 A different thought has come into cinema.
00:25 Awara will be, always be one of my most favorite Raj Kapoor films
00:29 and I believe that it's the best screenplay Indian cinema has ever seen.
00:34 Namaste, I am Karan Johar.
00:41 Today I am here to share with you all
00:43 what are my 10 favorite films.
00:45 As you all know that cinema, Indian cinema
00:48 has always been and will always be a very important part of our lives.
00:52 I am a filmmaker and I have been watching films since childhood.
00:55 So it is a part of my life.
00:57 But I know that if you are in this country,
01:00 then Indian cinema has been a very big part of our lives.
01:05 And I am very proud of our cinema.
01:06 And I am here to share some of my few moments of celluloid with you.
01:10 So I have been watching films since childhood.
01:12 And I used to cry when I was a child,
01:14 that please take me to the cinema, show me a movie.
01:16 It used to be the biggest high of my life.
01:18 People used to study, play.
01:20 I used to watch only Hindi films.
01:22 It was my biggest passion.
01:23 And this passion has brought me to this point today.
01:26 And I am very happy about that.
01:28 So I will start.
01:30 First of all, I would like to say that Raj Kapoor and Yash Chopra
01:33 have been a big influence in my films.
01:35 They have been a big influence.
01:37 They have been a big influence in my films.
01:39 So the first film I would like to say is Awara.
01:42 Awara by Raj Kapoor.
01:44 This film was made in black and white.
01:46 Raj Kapoor was there, Nargis was there.
01:48 And Nargis was in this film.
01:50 And I believe that the screenplay of this film
01:53 is the perfect screenplay of Indian cinema.
01:56 Many screenplays have been written by many geniuses.
01:59 But this screenplay is a perfect screenplay.
02:02 The conflict between father and son is still seen in films today.
02:05 Which is derived from Awara.
02:07 The romance between Nargis and Raj Kapoor
02:11 is absolutely memorable.
02:13 The moments between Raj Kapoor and Nargis in this film,
02:16 I don't think any kind of romance has had the kind of passion
02:19 that we saw in Awara.
02:21 Like I said, the conflict between father and son,
02:23 when people write a scene,
02:25 the conflict between father and son is still there in cinema.
02:28 So you can go back to Awara
02:30 and see the germs of that conflict in that film.
02:33 So Awara will always be one of my most favourite Raj Kapoor films.
02:37 And I believe that it's the best screenplay
02:39 Indian cinema has ever seen.
02:41 If you haven't seen Awara, trust me, you missed out on something.
02:44 The name of the film I'm going to take now,
02:47 it's not a surprise.
02:49 If I say it, you'll think, "Oh my God!"
02:52 Of course.
02:53 So this film is Sholay.
02:55 Now Sholay, someone told me,
02:57 this term Bollywood,
02:59 can we find another term for it?
03:03 Because Bollywood is not really complimentary to us.
03:05 It seems like Bollywood is a derivative of Hollywood.
03:07 So someone asked me,
03:09 can we use another term to describe Indian cinema?
03:12 So I said, there's only one term and that's Sholay.
03:15 If there's another derivative of Indian cinema,
03:17 if there's another word, then it's Sholay.
03:19 Sholay is not a film, it's a book.
03:22 Whenever you want to learn something about Indian cinema,
03:25 it's like you go back to the textbook of Sholay.
03:27 Because it has everything that defines us as Indian cinema goers,
03:33 Indian cine-goers.
03:34 It has romance, action, drama, conflict, music, scale,
03:39 villain, hero, everything.
03:42 Everything we learn from Indian cinema is in Sholay.
03:46 And it's so brilliantly shot, so brilliantly conceived,
03:49 that even today if you see some sequences of Sholay,
03:52 you'll find them contemporary.
03:54 Like a train sequence, or the way they captured cinematography,
03:58 the way they shot action, the way they picturised the song,
04:01 the way they erected the set.
04:02 Even today we can't do what they did in the 70s.
04:05 Of course, performances, all of them are iconic characters.
04:08 Everyone, if you want to see them today,
04:10 not just Sachin, even A.K. Hangal,
04:12 the small roles he played in the films,
04:14 they're memorable.
04:15 One line, one line of Mac Mahon,
04:17 if you want to see how many people he was,
04:20 as Gabbar says,
04:21 it's still used in references of ads, in marketing.
04:25 And Mac Mahon didn't say a single line in the film,
04:27 yet the character Samba is memorable.
04:30 This is the impact of Sholay.
04:32 And I think that if you want to introduce any international audience
04:35 who doesn't know much about our cinema,
04:39 you have to start with Sholay.
04:41 You have to show them Sholay,
04:42 because Sholay is what we're all about
04:44 as far as Indian cinema goes.
04:46 Watch Sholay again and again,
04:47 and you'll know that this magic never fades.
04:50 Sholay's magic never fades.
04:52 I've always praised Yash Chopra in the media,
04:54 or on any platform,
04:57 because I believe that
05:00 if I'm a filmmaker today,
05:02 it's because of Yash Chopra.
05:04 Because I grew up watching his films.
05:07 I've always respected his films,
05:12 because I've learnt a lot from his films.
05:15 When I watched his films for the first time,
05:17 I couldn't forget that moment.
05:21 Because the romance I saw in it,
05:24 the human interaction I saw,
05:26 I didn't understand it as a kid.
05:28 But every year,
05:30 I kept watching it.
05:31 Today, when I watch it,
05:33 I've understood what Yash Chopra wanted to say.
05:36 The romance he portrayed in the relationships,
05:39 the subtlety, the human conflict,
05:41 which I've learnt from his films,
05:43 which I've learnt from his films,
05:45 which I've learnt from his films,
05:47 like I said to Sholay,
05:49 it's a textbook Indian film,
05:51 so I'd like to say that sometimes,
05:52 it's a textbook on human relationships.
05:54 This isn't a film.
05:55 It's like visiting human relationships.
05:57 There's every relation in that film,
05:59 father-daughter, father-son.
06:01 The way we casually interact at home,
06:04 Yash has portrayed it beautifully in Kabhi Kabhi.
06:07 And who can forget the song written by Saher,
06:10 Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein Khayal Aata Hai.
06:12 I think, if you want to see,
06:14 like I said,
06:15 Awara's screenplay is the most perfect screenplay.
06:18 You won't find the most romantic song
06:21 even if you search for it,
06:22 which you've found in Kabhi Kabhi.
06:24 It will mark, I would say,
06:27 the presence of the most romantic song
06:29 in the history of Indian cinema.
06:31 Kabhi Kabhi can never be forgotten.
06:33 Speaking of Yash,
06:35 there was another film made,
06:37 Lamhe,
06:38 which I saw in college.
06:41 And when I went to see it at the premiere,
06:44 I went with my parents.
06:46 And I still can't forget what I felt
06:48 after I saw Lamhe.
06:49 For the first time, I saw the industry standing.
06:52 And there was a standing ovation
06:53 at the end of the film.
06:54 Because it was such a proud film.
06:56 It was a very brave film.
06:57 People used to say that Sharda,
07:00 a film made in the 40s,
07:01 a film by Raj Kapoor and Meena Kumari,
07:03 was bold,
07:04 and it was still popular at that time.
07:06 Lamhe is also bold,
07:07 but it didn't work.
07:08 I feel, like people say,
07:10 it was ahead of its time.
07:11 But I feel a film like Lamhe is so beautiful,
07:13 it's like poetry.
07:14 Maybe it never worked.
07:15 Kabhi Kabhi is a child
07:17 who may become a little weak,
07:19 but that child always remains beautiful
07:22 for a parent.
07:23 So that's what Lamhe is to Yashji.
07:25 And Lamhe, to me,
07:26 is my favorite Yash Chopra film.
07:28 I watch it again and again,
07:30 and I cry every time I watch it.
07:32 Because I connect with every emotion of Lamhe.
07:35 Maybe it's not a commercial for the Indian audience,
07:38 but it's an art form that no one will forget.
07:41 Lamhe will always remain special to Yashji
07:43 and for me as a filmmaker.
07:45 I was 8 years old when I went to the cinema
07:47 to watch this film.
07:48 And I cried so much in the middle
07:51 that I had to take my mother out.
07:53 Because my crying was not stopping.
07:57 And I was disturbing a lot of people.
07:59 That film was Masoom.
08:01 When you see the close-up of Jogar Lansraj,
08:05 I remember I was sitting in the hall
08:07 and there were 100-200 ladies
08:09 and I had this expression.
08:11 They went like this.
08:13 When they saw the innocent close-up of Jogar,
08:16 it had an impact right across the hall.
08:18 Which I think was absolutely enigmatic and charismatic,
08:21 the way it was portrayed.
08:23 It's a very beautiful film.
08:25 It's Shekhar Kapoor's first film.
08:27 And I believe Naseer and Shabana have excelled themselves in this film.
08:30 Again, it's a small film.
08:31 It's at home.
08:32 It's a small story based at home.
08:34 But it's a story that touches the heart.
08:36 And when Shabana ji's resolve is revealed in the end,
08:40 I remember it got tears in everybody's eyes.
08:42 As a child, I wept right through the film.
08:44 But I know if you want to open your heart and cry,
08:48 then you must watch Masoom.
08:49 It's really...
08:50 Jogar Lansraj's innocence is there,
08:54 but Shekhar Kapoor's brilliance is also there in this film.
08:57 And you'll know how subtle emotions have a larger impact at times.
09:02 And this film teaches you that.
09:03 Masoom is beautiful.
09:05 I had gone to college when I was a kid.
09:07 And I was going to decide whether I should make films or not.
09:10 Whether I should go into films or not.
09:12 So, Aditya Chopra, my best friend, called me.
09:14 He said, "Trial is Suraj ji's second film.
09:17 Who are we to you?"
09:18 It's a long film, but come and watch it.
09:20 He's showing us a long version today.
09:22 It was a 3 hour 30 minute film.
09:23 I was very excited because I had watched 'Maine Pyaar Kiya' with a lot of love.
09:27 So, I went to watch it.
09:28 And I had brought a smile with me.
09:31 And I came back with that smile.
09:32 The whole film is about how I did not stop smiling.
09:35 And when I came out of the film,
09:38 I told Suraj ji, he didn't know me at that time.
09:40 I just shook his hand and I said,
09:42 "Today I realised I want to be a filmmaker."
09:44 "Today I realised that I want to be a director after watching this film."
09:48 Because that film had values, traditions, but it had a smile.
09:52 And right from the beginning to the end,
09:53 you couldn't stop smiling when you saw 'Hum Aapke Hai Kaun'.
09:56 It was a family bounding story.
10:00 But I have never seen such an innocently, honestly and sincerely told story.
10:05 And there was so much conviction in that story.
10:07 Who makes a film with 14 songs?
10:09 On such a big scale, it was a big risk.
10:13 There were 14 songs and every song had a story.
10:16 It wasn't like the song came in like this,
10:18 stopping the narrative and the story and the song was coming.
10:21 It was actually, this song was in the true form of a musical.
10:24 It was increasing the narrative.
10:27 It was taking the story ahead.
10:30 And that is the biggest strength of 'Hum Aapke Hai Kaun'.
10:33 And it's a very brave film.
10:34 Because it was a 3 hour 30 minute film.
10:37 And it came in a zone where action was mostly going on.
10:41 Commercial mainstream films were like this,
10:43 in which beating, breaking and all this was happening.
10:46 This film brought back families into the audience.
10:49 After that, even today we make family films.
10:53 There are families in the cinema halls.
10:55 But we forget that actually it's thanks to 'Hum Aapke Hai Kaun'.
10:58 They brought this family back as a unit in the cinema halls.
11:04 Suraj and Rajshri family.
11:06 And we will always have to be grateful to them
11:08 for bringing back families into cinema halls with 'Hum Aapke Hai Kaun'.
11:11 In 2001, I was making a film, 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham'.
11:14 It was a very big film.
11:16 So when I started this film, I thought why is anyone else coming in this year?
11:21 It's such a big film of mine, it will be the biggest hit.
11:23 Such a good film is being made that no other film can ever match up to 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham'.
11:29 I was wrong.
11:30 I saw a film in June, 'Lagaan'.
11:32 And I realized that cinema has changed.
11:35 A different sensibility has come into cinema.
11:37 A different thought has come into cinema.
11:40 The most brave, proudly told story, 'Lagaan'.
11:44 Ashutosh Gawarekar played it beautifully on a big screen.
11:49 Aamir Khan played that role.
11:51 And the drama in the film, the combination of cricket and film,
11:55 which he combined effectively,
11:57 no one could have done it today.
11:59 A lot of films were made on the triumph of human spirit.
12:02 But I feel that if you compare 'Lagaan' internationally,
12:05 then 'Lagaan' will always be the proudest triumph film.
12:08 And that's why I was not shocked or surprised at all
12:11 when 'Lagaan' was nominated for the Oscars.
12:13 Because I have never seen such a proud Indian film.
12:16 In which you feel that you are proud to be an Indian,
12:19 you are proud to be an Indian.
12:21 That form, that feeling is in 'Lagaan'.
12:23 And the way Anil Mehta has shot this film,
12:26 and the entire ensemble cast,
12:28 11 members of the cricket team,
12:30 and all the British cast, Gracie, the foreign girl,
12:33 who played her role beautifully,
12:35 the music of 'Lagaan', the most special music of Rehman sir,
12:39 Chavech sir has written it very well.
12:41 So the package, I think 'Lagaan' is the 'Sholay' of our times.
12:45 Of course, people talk a lot about
12:47 if Ram Gopal Verma and I have any problem,
12:50 or if we are un-bun, or...
12:52 Of course, they have said a little, I have said a little,
12:55 but that doesn't take away that I think 'Satya' is an absolutely fantastic film.
13:00 'Satya' was released in 1998.
13:02 Something happens with it.
13:04 And when I saw this film, it's a film about the Bombay underworld.
13:07 But the screenplay and performances of this film are absolutely fantastic.
13:11 Manoj Vajpayee's career is the best performance.
13:13 Urmila Matondkar's performance is very subtle.
13:16 And it's Ram Gopal Verma all the way.
13:18 Brilliantly told, brilliantly structured,
13:20 and absolutely brilliantly captured.
13:22 Mumbai city has never felt like it has in 'Satya'.
13:26 It's an absolutely fantastic film, and every character is memorable.
13:29 I believe it's the best Indian gangster film ever made,
13:32 and I don't think even Ram Gopal Verma can do better than 'Satya'.
13:35 Rishikesh Mukherjee is my very favourite filmmaker.
13:38 He has made very beautiful films.
13:40 'Khubsoorat' or 'Milli' or 'Guddi' or whatever film you watch,
13:44 there is a simple slice of life feeling.
13:47 There is a smile, a smile, a simplicity that is very endearing.
13:51 Which is very difficult to capture normally.
13:54 I found that in a film in the year 2006, 'Lage Rao Munna Bhai'.
13:59 I am a big fan of the Munna Bhai series.
14:01 But 'Lage Rao Munna Bhai' is a beautifully Rishikesh Mukherjee type of film.
14:06 It has a message, a social message, but it's also very entertaining.
14:11 It's very hysterically funny, but there is an underlying social message
14:16 that runs right through the film.
14:18 And that hasn't been made in years, like we saw in 'Lage Rao Munna Bhai'.
14:22 We haven't seen this social message meets with entertainment in years,
14:26 but this film had all those qualities
14:28 that we normally see in Rishikesh Mukherjee's films.
14:31 I think Raju Hirani is one of the country's finest filmmakers.
14:35 And I think the track he has kept of Gandhi in this film,
14:38 it brought back Mahatma Gandhi to a generation that had almost forgotten Mahatma Gandhi.
14:43 The concept of Gandhi Giri that he brought, it became cult,
14:46 it became almost like it had a huge fan following.
14:49 If you ask small kids who Mahatma Gandhi is, they know this today.
14:53 Before 'Lage Rao Munna Bhai', they might not have this information.
14:56 But today it's great that a film can bring back a legend like Mahatma Gandhi.
15:00 And we have to thank Vinod Chopra and Raju Hirani for doing this.
15:03 'Lage Rao Munna Bhai' will be special for not only its screenplay,
15:06 but for bringing back the nostalgia of Rishikesh Mukherjee in modern day celluloid.
15:11 And finally, I would like to say that this year's film,
15:14 which I really liked and it's made it to my top 10 list,
15:19 it's 'Chak De'.
15:21 This film is not a hockey film for me, it's not a sports film for me.
15:26 There are many other qualities in this film that run right through the film.
15:30 It speaks about women empowerment, it speaks about sectional India and making it one.
15:34 It speaks about various things.
15:36 So if you go to watch it, if you simply go to watch it, you will say that it's a sports-strived film.
15:41 But if you go deep, you will find out that the writer of this film, Jaideep Sani,
15:46 wants to say a lot about this country, about the status of women in India,
15:50 which he has said through this film.
15:53 And I think that it is Shah Rukh Khan's best performance.
15:57 If you want to see Shah Rukh Khan's favourite performance and best performance,
16:01 then you have to see 'Chak De India'.
16:03 Because not only is it patriotic, not only is it a sports-strived film,
16:06 but it speaks of India and what we stand for and what we should stand for.
16:10 'Chak De India' is definitely the film, a film beyond films.
16:15 So these were my top 10 favourite films.
16:17 I hope most of you agree with my list.
16:19 I have made this list after a lot of thought.
16:21 There is a lot of love in these films.
16:24 I wanted to share that love with you.
16:26 I am of course a big devotee of Indian cinema.
16:28 So I hope you enjoy my top 10 because I have had a great time sharing it with you.
16:32 Thank you.
16:34 (Music)
16:38 (dramatic music)