"then the truth came out that he was actually having an affair."
Karan Johar has revealed that Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was inspired by a scandal in his family.
Speaking to American fashion designer Prabal Gurung, Karan explained that a real-life incident provided the inspiration for the film.
The filmmaker recalled: “I remember there was an incident that happened in my family where a member of my family had dementia and he had gone back into his past love.
“Only thing is he was a married man and he kept taking the name of this one lady who happened to be his family member as well.
“It was a scandal and then the truth came out that he was actually having an affair.
“It was only that he was talking about the relationship at age 80 and the lady who he was having an affair with was age 84 at that time. And his wife is 79.
“There was drama happening in and around this situation… and I remember instead of feeling terrible for what was happening between these three people at an average age of 82… I was like wow!”
Admitting that he is “obsessed” with infidelity, Karan continued:
“For me, I am so obsessed with infidelity. I made a movie on it and I remember someone telling me, ‘Why are you endorsing infidelity?’ and I am like, ‘You cannot endorse something that has already sold out!’
“Just emotionally speaking, I am always intrigued by the idea of infidelity and how it can be a reality.
“That’s what. There’s no age for love.”
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani tells the story of dementia-suffering Kanwal (Dharmendra), who keeps repeating the name Jamini.
It is later revealed that Jamini (Shabana Azmi) is the name of a woman he met a long time ago during a poetry meet and fell in love with.
When this revelation comes to light, Kanwal’s wife (Jaya Bachchan) is scandalised.
Kanwal and Jamini reunite following the efforts of their grandchildren, played by Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt.
Karan Johar previously said that the film was inspired by Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna’s own love story, saying:
“Maybe subconsciously (I got inspired). They have a tremendous friendship in their marriage. I’ve had dinners with them, meals with them, hung out with them.
“And there’s a terrific kind of comfort in their camaraderie. He finds her hilarious, she finds him hilarious, for different reasons.”
“So I felt it wasn’t impossible for people who come from two different demographics of society, two stratas, to actually find love. It’s like we put ourselves in boxes. Like when we’re finding a relationship, we put ourselves in places where we’re comfortable.
“But tomorrow, you can fall in love with someone anywhere.”
Since releasing on July 28, 2023, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani has grossed over Rs. 347 Crore (£33.7 million), becoming the sixth highest-grossing Indian film and fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2023.
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