But the film that has been the talking point for the last few weeks is undoubtedly Shuddhi. When will the film roll?
"Shuddhi may take six months, even a year, to go on the floors. We are still working on the schedule. Hrithik Roshan's health issues, which lead to Bang Bang being pushed forward, has had its share of repercussions. Shuddhi stands indefinitely delayed and right now I don't know where it is going," Karan admits.
Buzz is, Deepika Padukone has replaced Kareena Kapoor. Karan insists that at the moment it is still Kareena, but the delay could lead to a change in the cast. "I can't expect an actress to wait indefinitely. I feel terrible for Bebo, who is a special friend- the sibling I never had," he sighs.
Reportedly one of the reasons for him looking to replace Kareena is the failure of Gori Tere Pyar Mein, which has also led to director Punit Malhotra's exit from Dharma. "Who said Punit is out?" retorts Karan. "His next film is with Dharma and he has already started working on it. The film may have failed but Punit didn't. He had worked harder on Gori Tere Pyar Mein than he did on I Hate Love Storys. If anyone has to take the blame, it's me." So where did he err? Was it a case of miscasting? "Like you can't analyse success, you shouldn't analyse failure either," Karan philosophises.
Rumour has it that Tarun Mansukhani who had to give up on Dostana 2 after five years is a disheartened man today. Karan says he's taken it upon himself to "re-energise" his team. "We don't operate as a studio, every film director in Dharma is part of the family," he asserts.
