Karan Johar opens up on Pandya-Rahul sexist comments row, says he feels responsible
January 23, 2019
Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar has broken his silence over Hardik Pandya’s comments on his show Koffee with Karan about why he feels responsible for what happened.
Pandya had told Johar that he liked to watch women move in a nightclub. “I’m a little from the black side so I need to see how they move,” he said on the episode which has since then been removed.
He also boasted about telling his parents about the number of women he had slept with, even pointing them out at a party, and said his family was proud of him for it.
Speaking to ET Now, Johar explained how no one on his show, including the women crew members, at that time felt uncomfortable with Pandya’s answers.
“I have to say that I feel very responsible because it was my show, it was my platform. I invited them as guests and so the ramifications and repercussion of the show are my responsibility. I have had so many sleepless nights just wondering about how I can undo this damage, who is going to listen to me. It’s now gone into a zone which is beyond my control,” he said.
Johar admitted that their comments were inappropriate, but he also said that he didn’t think about what was happening. “I have to say and I don’t defend myself when I say this. I have to say that the questions that I asked the two boys are the questions I ask everyone including women. Deepika (Padukone) and Alia (Bhatt) were on the show, I asked them those questions. I have no control about the answers that come my way.”
Speaking about the backlash that Lokesh Rahul and Pandya have received over the controversial episode, Johar said, “I regret what has happened to them. And, then there was talk about me actually enjoying the TRP, I don’t care about the TRPs.”
He also added that he is not in any way trying to justify the comments made on his show, but instead pointed out, “I am just saying that I think that perhaps things were said that may have crossed boundaries and I apologise because it was my platform from where it happened. I feel the boys have faced the price for it already.”
The duo were suspended and from their tour of Australia and charged them with misconduct and indiscipline after remarks condemned on social media as sexist, racist and misogynist.
The Indian Supreme Court has been asked to decide the future of two international cricketers suspended for their comments.
