Karan Johar wants A to work with Bhansa

The flamboyant director would like to see Alia Bhatt make a film with his erstwhile rival

Writer- turned- director Sharat Katariya has been associated as a writer with films like Bheja Fry, Fan and Befikre. He has also directed slice of life comedies like 10ml Love, Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Sui Dhaaga: Made In India. Presently working on other scripts, the filmmaker is determined to stick to the same kind of stories that have become his calling card.

Sources in the market, however, suggest a change of direction. “While 10ml Love was an urban romantic comedy, both Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Sui Dhaaga were films from the Indian heartland that showcased the struggles of an average Indian family. He is slated to start the writing process at At Shah Rukh Khan’s big bash on the night of November 3, Karan Johar was overheard recommending Sanjay Leela Bhansali to Alia Bhatt. Everybody knows that Alia is Karan’s favourite protégée. Almost a second father to the actress, he is enormously possessive and protective of her.

Therefore, Karan telling Alia in front of Bhansali himself that she “must work” with the “greatest director among us,” came as a surprise to an invitee at SRK’s shindig who overheard the suggestion. Bhansali, says the eyewitness, smiled and hugged Karan. “There seems to be the moment and what remains to be seen is if he will go for a thriller or stick to his formula of simple tales with happy endings,” says a source.

But insiders from the filmmaker’s team insist that he will not attempt any paradigm shift from his style of filmmaking. “He writes his films in a little less than a month. He has just started writing his next idea and if it flows, he should have a script by the end of the month. But for the moment, he is sticking to his guns that have fired before,” says a team member.

— Sanskriti Media a mutually respectful bond and a whole lot of affection between Bhansali and Johar. The earlier animosity has been washed away,” said the onlooker.

Alia, in fact, has already visited Sanjay Bhansali at his office twice and has even learnt Kathak, for Karan Johar’s massive period film Kalank, from maestro Birju Maharaj on Sanjay Bhansali’s advice. Says a source, “Mr Bhansali suggested to Alia that she contact Birju Maharaj whom he knows very well. She immediately took his advice so that her Indian classical dancing would match Madhuri Dixit’s expert moves in Kalank. No, they don’t dance together. But they perform classical dances in two different sequences.”