Karan Johar Compares Gippy Grewal’s Vision for Akaal to the Passion Behind Rajamouli’s for Baahubali

Karan Johar, the renowned filmmaker and founder of Dharma Productions, recently expressed his excitement about the company's foray into Punjabi cinema at the trailer launch of Akaal in Mumbai. Directed by Gippy Grewal, the film marks Dharma Productions' first Punjabi venture, a significant milestone for the production house. At the event, Johar spoke passionately about the collaboration with Gippy Grewal, and how the director's involvement in the project made all the difference for him.

 

In his speech, Karan Johar highlighted the immense respect he has for Gippy Grewal's talent, calling him an "absolute force" in the Punjabi film industry. Johar said:

 

"This is Dharma Productions' first Punjabi film... I couldn't have chosen a better, stronger, and more absolutely amazing collaborator than Gippy Grewal. What an absolute force!"

 

He continued to express how the mere mention of Gippy Grewal's name made the decision to produce the film an easy one for him:

 

"Because of Gippy Grewal, the idea of making a Punjabi film felt like the right choice. Just knowing that Gippy Grewal's name is associated with this film, I didn’t need anything else. If we have to foray into Punjabi cinema—and it’s our dream and desire at Dharma Productions to produce content beyond the Hindi language—this is our very first. There could not be a better beginning."

 

Johar went on to reflect on the past, recalling how Punjabi was once the dominant language on film sets:

 

"At one point in the industry, everything happened in Punjabi. Every film set was filled with Punjabi conversations. The heroes were Punjabi, the directors were Punjabi, and the heroines were from the South. That was the template. I understand Punjabi. So, I'm very proud of this fact. The fact that this is the newest and youngest cinema in our nation. It’s a matter of pride to see how far this nascent cinema has come, and now we are watching cinema at this level."

 

Looking at the evolution of cinema, Johar compared his feelings toward this new venture to the passion he saw in director S.S. Rajamouli when he worked on the blockbuster Baahubali. He shared how that experience of being a part of the beginning of pan-Indian cinema had impacted him, and how a similar feeling arose when he met Gippy Grewal:

 

"The way Baahubali was presented, the passion I saw in Rajamouli’s eyes, everything was at stake. I felt the same feeling when I met Gippy—this is the same kind of passion. I feel honored and privileged to be a part of that passion."

 

Titled 'Akaal The Unconquered,' the film will be hitting the big screens on 10th April, 2025.

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