Cinema is far more progressive than TV: Karan Johar

Known for making larger than life family dramas for the big screen, filmmaker Karan Johar is now connecting with the masses on a new level through his appearances on the small screen. He however says this is just a phase and he can’t work for the medium full-time as he fails to understand the concept of TRPs and finds cinema “far more progressive”.
“Indian television has its positives and negatives. It has a huge audience and some shows are very entertaining, but I think it needs to come out of its current zone,” Johar told us in an interview.
“Every time they try something new, it does not work and does not get TRPs (television rating points), because of which they go back to doing and showing strange things,” he added.
He compares the scenario with the Bollywood box office and feels content on the small screen is more driven by ratings.
“The TV industry lives around TRPs, like the box office for cinema. Every Wednesday morning is a wake-up call for TV people. One day it is Zee TV on top, then it is Colors, and so on. I don’t know how does all this work.
“Seeing all this, I think cinema is far more progressive because it gives you an opportunity to make all kinds of movies,” he added.
The 40-year-old, head honcho of leading film banner Dharma Productions, started his tryst with TV as a celebrity chat show host “Koffee With Karan”, which is now a hugely popular franchise.
He is currently judging the fifth season of celebrity dance reality show “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa” with dancing diva Madhuri Dixit and choreographer Remo D’Souza. And now, gearing up for more – as judge on the new season of “India’s Got Talent” (IGT).
Asked if he would ever direct a fiction show for TV, he said: “Television is not for me behind the camera. I could be a judge, a host, but I am not sure if I could be a director over TV.
“I sometimes feel I will be living on MRIs the day I decide to switch over to TV alone. They have so many things to take care of. I am coming back with ‘Koffee With Karan’ next June, but no fiction for me.”
Johar credits his knowledge about TV shows to his mother, who closely follows all popular shows on the medium.
“I will be lying if I say that I am a TV addict, but my mother is obsessed with Indian television and is very happy to see me as a part of these shows. She is a huge fan of Ram and Priya (of ‘Bade Achche Lagte Hain’). But I have never been into TV,” he said.
Talking about his stint as a judge on “Jhalak…” and IGT, Johar says he would love to judge a singing show, but thinks he lacks the expertise for that.
“One thing I would love to sit back and watch a singing show, but I really think I would be the wrong person to judge a singing show. I can judge singing on a very surface level, but I don’t have the right expertise to judge it,” said the dashing filmmaker, who is looking forward to the release of his next directorial “Student Of The Year”.