Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar has defended young actors Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor amid backlash over their performances in Nadaaniyan. For those unversed, the film released on an OTT platform earlier this month and it mostly received negative reviews from critics as well as the audience.
On Tuesday (March 18), Karan attended the trailer launch event of his upcoming film Akaal, starring Gippy Grewal in the lead role. During the event, he was asked about the extreme criticism of Nadaaniyan while he was interacting with media persons.
To this, Karan, who has produced the film, replied, “Main bas ye hi kahunga, ek purane film ka alfaaz hai ki kuch toh log kahenge logon ka kaam hai kehna… chhodo bekaar ki baatein, beet na jaaye raina. Bas ye hi kehna chahunga main.”
Meanwhile, critics and audiences alike have panned Nadaaniyan, with many questioning the decision to cast unprepared newcomers in leading roles. Amid this backlash, several celebrities have come out in support of Khushi and Ibrahim.
Recently, in an interview, filmmaker Hansal Mehta called the criticism ‘harsh’ while pointing fingers at the filmmakers for setting them up for failure.
Before him, actor-director Sonu Sood asked people to be kind to debutants. While he didn’t take anyone’s name in his social media post, people speculated that it was for Nadaaniyan actors.
In an interview, filmmaker Vikram Bhatt also praised Ibrahim and said that he liked his performance in the film. He also predicted that Ibrahim will become a ‘big star’.
About Nadaaniyan
While the film marks Ibrahim’s acting debut, Khushi has starred in two films earlier — The Archies and Loveyapa. Directed by Shauna Gautam, Nadaaniyan is a romantic drama that captures the magic, madness and innocence of first love. Khushi is seen as Pia, a bold and spirited girl from South Delhi. On the other hand, Ibrahim plays the role of Arjun, a determined middle-class boy from Noida.
The film also stars Archana Puran Singh, Meezaan Jafri, Dia Mirza, Jugal Hansraj, Suniel Shetty, Mahima Chaudry, and others.
