Mumbai:
Producer-director Karan Johar said on Tuesday that it has been 23 years Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham was released and if two of its characters, Rohan Raichand and Pooja Sharma, were to have a baby girl, she would be the Bae of the upcoming series Call me Bae.
Karan Johar, who serves as executive producer on the Prime Video show, said that Bae’s character, played by Ananya Panday in her series debut, is a “glorious Gen Z 2.0 derivative” of Kareena Kapoor Khan’s iconic fashionista Poo, aka Pooja. from his 2001 film.
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham ends with Poo and Rohan tying the knot written by Hrithik Roshan.
“Now if Rohan and Pooja had to have a baby girl, she would be Bae. I’m only talking because she really is a great Poon Z 2.0 derivative. It’s like where Poo ends, Bae picks up.
“That’s the best way to describe him, because even when you saw Poo’s character, it started out as all fun and games, and then he contributes to the emotional weight of what’s going on. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham“, Johar told reporters here at the trailer launch of the series.
“Call Me Bae” sees Panday essay the role of Bae, a billionaire fashion house disowned by his ultra-rich family. The core of the story is how he survives himself by becoming a journalist, overcomes stereotypes and finds out who he really is.
Johar said the show, directed by Collin D’Cunha and created by Ishita Moitra, is fun and cool but also has a “universal appeal and message”.
“All thanks to Ishita Moitra who is the creator of the series along with her brilliant team, both Rohit Nair and Samina Motlekar who have given all the fun, necessary and required focus (to the series).
“There are a lot of meaningful things happening in the show through this character. But I’m not saying it’s a textbook-journalism type of show. The message and politics of the show is strong, everyone in India and abroad can relate to it,” he added.
“Call Me Bae” comes from Dharmatic Entertainment, the digital arm of Johar’s Dharma Productions. In addition to Johar, Apoorva Mehta and Somen Mishra also act as executive producers in the show.
Johar, who launched Panday in his 2017 production ‘Student of the Year 2’, said it is the actor’s best work till date.
“Everybody watches rags-to-riches stories, this is riches-to-rags. And in a tone of humor, in an ironic tone, and also towards the end, a tone of empowerment, which Ananya Panday portrayed so beautifully.
“I’d even say you’ve seen him work a lot and he’s gone from strength to strength. But this is by far his best work and defines him in the world of entertainment,” he added.
Starring Vir Das, Mini Mathur, Gurfateh Pirzada, Varun Sood and Vihaan Samat, ‘Call Me Bae’ hits Prime Video on September 6. PTI COR RDS RB
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff, except for the headline, and is published on a syndicated feed.)
