As part of CNN International’s ‘Eye on India’ week of special programming, ‘Talk Asia’ hears from film director Karan Johar. Johar is at his wittiest as he reveals to CNN’s Anjali Rao his views on subjects including marriage and infidelity, his relationship with Bollywood stars including Shah Rukh Khan, the paparazzi, his changing approach to filmmaking and the industry’s response to the influence of organized crime.

Excerpts from the interview:

On marriage, infidelity and his latest film:

"I just felt infidelity was rampant and it was almost like it was surrounding me at every level. I just felt like this story needed to be told…. I was not trying to promote or endorse infidelity because you can’t promote something that’s already sold out. I was just trying to kind of tell you that to get married, think about it and marry for the right reasons because sometimes I felt, whether in my country or anywhere else, people were succumbing to the institution for the wrong reasons."

On coming out of the closet:

"I’m not saying people can scream from the rooftops if they are gay. I don’t think they can do that today. Yes it’s far more often there are spaces where you can, there are spaces now for the gay people, and there are people who have come out, and people are very comfortable around them. Ten years ago, it was a little tougher, ten years later, as in today, its much easier. A decade later it will be even easier.... I think yes alternative sexuality is definitely a reality and it’s definitely being more and more accepted with every passing day.”

On Bollywood:

"On various levels I felt I was almost cheating my narrative by including these songs, I felt lip synch is something that was a bit bothersome on many levels so I feel today if I had to make a film that was so real and talking about such a real subject, I may not have a lip synching situation song where they are singing. You and I, if we were going though a bad marriage or succumbing to infidelity, we wouldn’t suddenly start singing at a party. You know we wouldn’t do that. So that’s something I would like to avoid in the future."

Airtime: Indian Standard Time
Saturday, 17 March: 0600 hrs, 2130 hrs
Sunday, 18 March: 0700 hrs, 1930 hrs

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Raman Swain
CNN South Asia
Tel. +91 11 41699129
Email: raman.swain@turner.com