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Rediff.com's Hitesh Harisinghani, Afsar Dayatar and Mayur Sanap bring you all the action from the Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani media interaction in Mumbai on Thursday afternoon.
Karan Johar is ecstatic to see all the overflowing adulation coming his way for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, which marks the 25th year milestone in his film-making career.
The filmi family entertainer starring Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh was released on July 28 and it's been flexing its muscles at ticket windows since then as audiences and critics laud KJo's progressive lens in his latest big screen offering.
The director and key cast members -- Alia, Ranveer, Dharmendra, Tota Roy Chowdhury, Churni Ganguly, Kshitee Jog, Anjali Anand, Dharma Productions CEO Apoorva Mehta and Viacom18's Ajit Andhare -- came together at Mumbai's J W Mariott hotel on August 3 to celebrate the film's sweet success with the media fraternity.
"This kind of love is a first for me. I'm feeling this is my debut film," said the 51-year-old film-maker at the event, who took the directorial reins after 2016's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
"I don't think I felt this good being a film-maker. From here, I hope to make many more," Karan announced.
Ranveer-Alia's fashionable looks were once again the highlight of their public appearance for this film.
Contrary to his on-screen brash avatar, Ranveer put his stylish foot forward with smart casuals, black glares, and shiny black shoes.
He sashayed down on the stage to the tunes of Heartthrob and his sophisticated appearance was oozing with unmistakable charm.
On the other hand, Alia chose to be in her character as she channeled her inner Rani in a gorgeous pink saree with stunning jhumkas.
Their off-screen chemistry was clearly visible as they frequently indulged in animated chat during the event.
The success bash was reason for the lead pair to make some startling revelations that peeped into their swooning chemistry in the film.
Despite her initial hesitation, Alia revealed she visited Shah Rukh Khan on Karan's suggestion right before leaving for the Tum Kya Mile shoot in Kashmir.
She said the superstar was "generous" to help her with tips and tricks to master lip-syncing songs.
SRK then coached both Alia and daughter Suhana, who is gearing up for her Bollywood debut with The Archies.
"I was not going to reveal this little secret. I called him (SRK) up to talk on the phone. There was nervousness in me. He said, 'Tu ghar aaja. Suhana also wants to learn this.' I was there for 2-3 hours, and Suhana and I were singing," Alia revealed.
SRK made her download some mobile apps and instructed her to watch them on repeat mode.
"Whether it helped for this film or not, I know that experience will be irreplaceable in my life," Alia added.
While Jaya Bachchan (she is attending the Monsoon session of Parliament) and Shabana Azmi were missing from the event, cinema legend Dharmendra made a point to mark his presence as he lit up the room with his sparkling smile and hearty wisecracks.
The 87-year-old star said he liked the story right through the first narration and he immensely enjoyed working with Karan's film unit.
Karan delighted the audience in the room with a special preview of the Kudmayi song, which appears during Rocky and Rani's elaborate marriage ceremony in the end credits of the film.
Sharing an interesting anecdote about the song, Johar revealed this wedding sequence was shot in Jaisalmer after four days of Alia's actual wedding in April 2022.
Alia's mehendi in the song, Laran disclosed, was her real wedding mehendi and they just had to darken it a bit.
Karan said he was heartbroken when the song was reduced to a shorter version owing to the film's long duration.
Ranveer was quick to request his director to release the extended cut when it streams, and he hesitantly agreed to that.
Now that the film is a hit, the obvious question was asked to Karan if there will be a sequel to this prem kahaani, to which he quipped: "Woh raaz ko raaz hi rehne dete hain (let that be a secret)."
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com