KJo recalls meeting Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio

Karan Johar never thought his name would appear alongside the famous filmmaker Martin Scorsese, especially on a film poster from his own company, Dharma Productions. Scorsese became an executive producer for the Dharma film 'Homebound', directed by Neeraj Ghaywan.

The movie got a nine-minute standing ovation at the 78th Cannes Film Festival during its screening in the Un Certain Regard section.Reflecting on His Career and Collaboration with ScorseseDuring a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Johar revealed that he is contemplating his next steps. He emphasized the importance of a feature film directed by Neeraj Ghaywan. At the same time, he expressed amazement that a Dharma-produced film also carries Martin Scorsese’s name.

He admitted that even in his wildest dreams, he never imagined this would happen and joked that if someone had told him, he would have thought they were joking.

Now that it has happened, he feels fulfilled, saying he can "die and go to heaven or hell, or whoever’s accepting me," knowing he has a film with Martin Scorsese’s name alongside his own.The Memorable Meeting in BerlinJohar recalled his first and only meeting with Scorsese, noting that his close friend, Shah Rukh Khan, played a key role in making it happen. Johar mentioned that Scorsese often credits Khan as the source of his good fortune. The meeting took place in Khan’s suite in Berlin when Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio walked in, which made Johar feel nervous.

They were there promoting 'Shutter Island' (2010), and Scorsese was discussing archiving Indian cinema with Shah Rukh. Johar remembered feeling like a fan and wondering if he would ever have a conversation about cinema with Scorsese. At the time, Johar's film, 'My Name Is Khan', was the opening night film at the festival, and they invited Scorsese to the screening, who said he would try to attend.Joy Over Working with a Legendary FilmmakerThe Bollywood filmmaker acknowledged that while he hasn’t yet had the opportunity to discuss cinema with Scorsese as he dreams, working on a film with the iconic director is an even greater accomplishment.

He shared, “I’m very elated. I don’t know how to act cool about this; I’m sorry. I’m just, like, really excited.”Neeraj Ghaywan on Scorsese’s GuidanceNeeraj Ghaywan mentioned that Scorsese provided all the necessary feedback for Homebound's screenplay and editing via email. Ghaywan explained that once Scorsese started reviewing the script, he advised him to cut down on unnecessary exposition. As it was Ghaywan's first time writing a screenplay for a feature film, this was a bit daunting, as filmmakers often want to include numerous elements in one film, and there's also the insecurity of wondering if the audience understands the message.

Scorsese suggested limiting certain story arcs that might hinder the main narrative. Ghaywan found these points to be accurate and helpful in shaping the screenplay. During the editing process, Scorsese also shared valuable insights on making the film shorter and more concise. Ghaywan expressed his disbelief that Scorsese was even discussing his film.