Karan Razdan has had a sprawling body of work in different departments in cinema.
In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, conducted in July 2024, Karan Razdan opened up about it.
25 lakhs for Aamir Khan-Juhi Chawla’s Time Machine script; writer Karan Razdan THUNDERS: “Sona kharidne aaye ho ya pital?
Karan Razdan elaborated, “The character doesn’t know how to operate the time machine.
Karan Razdan confessed, “Manmohan Shetty, Ramesh Taurani and Karan Johar wanted to make it.
Karan Razdan has had a sprawling body of work in different departments in cinema. Not many are aware that he was a writer of the much-talked-about shelved film, Time Machine. It was to star Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla and was to be directed by Shekhar Kapur. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, conducted in July 2024, Karan Razdan opened up about it.
EXCLUSIVE: Karan Johar offered Rs. 25 lakhs for Aamir Khan-Juhi Chawla’s Time Machine script; writer Karan Razdan THUNDERS: “Sona kharidne aaye ho ya pital? He didn’t even come face-to-face…this is basic courtesy”
In a 2021 interview, veteran art director Bijon Das Gupta revealed that in Time Machine, Aamir Khan's character travels back in time and witnesses Lord Krishna’s conversation with Arjun in the Mahabharata era! Karan Razdan elaborated, “The character doesn’t know how to operate the time machine. Woh machine ko leke udd jaata hai. He lands in the past. When he wakes up, he hears sounds of war. He looks down and sees a fierce battle going on. Lord Krishna happens to see him. The protagonist asks the lord, ‘Yeh kya ho raha hai?’. Lord Krishna replies, ‘Mahabharat ladi ja rahi hai’! He is astonished, ‘Oh, this is Mahabharat!’.”
Karan continued, “He wanted to meet his mother and father. Paresh Rawal and Rohini Hattangadi play his chacha-chachi. N D Balraj and Gulshan Grover were their sons and were princes. They used to mistreat the protagonist, and he was the servant.”
He revealed, “Shekhar Kapur lost his mother while I lost my father within six months of each other. This is when we were working on Dushmani. We were sitting and we expressed the desire to meet our deceased parents one more time. This is where Shekhar got the idea of Time Machine and we developed it. Within just 3 months, I wrote the story, screenplay and dialogues. Shekhar was so charged that he got Laxmikant-Pyarelal on board. I narrated the idea to them and later also to Anand Bakshi saab at his residence. I also narrated to the entire cast comprising Aamir, Paresh Rawal and others. Paresh told me, ‘Climax narration ke waqt mujhe nikalna padega’. I asked him the reason. He replied, ‘Jiska climax sunn liya, woh picture chalti nahin hai’! He believed in it. I immediately told him, ‘Toh fir bhaag, mere baap’! After the narration was over, everyone was charged.”
The subject of Time Machine sounds relevant even today and moreover, our industry is now at a better position to make such grand, ambitious films. Hence, is there a possibility of the film being revived? Karan Razdan confessed, “Manmohan Shetty, Ramesh Taurani and Karan Johar wanted to make it. I even sent the script to Karan but he quoted a ridiculously low price.”
He added, “Jugal Hansraj was looking after the story department in Dharma. Shekhar had spoken to Jugal and the former told me to meet the latter. I told Jugal that I myself will give the narration. But Jugal said that it won’t be possible as Karan likes to read the script. Then I was told that I’ll be offered Rs. 25 lakhs. I was shocked. Sona kharidne aaye ho ya pital kharidne aaye ho? Yeh toh samjho ki kya de raha hoon main aapko?”
He also complained, “Karan Johar didn’t even come face-to-face. Also, let’s not forget that Shekhar is also involved. This is basic courtesy.”
He then stated, “Firoz Nadiadwala wanted to make it. I gave a whole narration in Guddu ji’s (Rakesh Roshan) house. Hrithik was also there. But the matter couldn’t be taken forward as they didn’t know who should direct it. Shekhar had made it clear that since I was involved as a writer, I shouldn’t direct as the team would need my inputs in writing.”
He concluded by saying, “Rajkumar Santoshi’s name cropped up. But I disagreed as this was not his genre.”
Also Read: FACT CHECK: Ramayana distribution rights sold to Karan Johar for Rs. 350 crores – Biggest of all time, defeating King
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