In 2023, filmmaker Karan Johar made his comeback to the director's chair after a seven-year hiatus with 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'. The film starred Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh as Rani and Rocky. The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. As the year is about to end in just a few days, Karan Johar, on Tuesday, penned an appreciation note for Ranveer and Alia alongside a pic of the trio.
Alia Bhatt made her Bollywood debut with Karan Johar's 'Student Of The Year' in 2012. For her, Karan wrote, “Before the year wraps, I felt like sharing this with all of you… I hadn't directed Alia since 2012 and the day she walked onto set In her Manish Malhotra plus Mickey Contractor plus #flavian look I knew we had the Rani I had always envisaged …. What followed was an actor I wasn't prepared for…. And I can take zero credit … will always be grateful to Imtiaz Ali for taking her on a highway of life and moulding her into the actor she finally became …. SOTY is technically her launch but her true launch as an artist will always be Highway…Alia is such a pride and pleasure on a film set…. She had a ticking kind constantly questioning Rani and trying her best to make her strong and yet identifiable and likeable … again for that I take no credit that is her evolution as an artist! Was blessed to have her as Rani Chatterjee and I do hope her character keeps resonating …. Love you Alia Bhatt.”
Praising Ranveer, he called him “the irreplaceable force of nature'' and added, “The actor prepares and never comes in your way…He never ever let me know the extent he was prepping to play Rocky Randhawa… he planned his prep with my team, spent months in Delhi, hung out in west Delhi, met the West Delhi gram boys, worked on his dialect like an obsessed artist! Kept improvising dialogues till it reached perfection for him … I saw this as a bystander, a filmmaker in awe and was blown away by his process ( which initially can be daunting but when you see the dailies you're sold and he's won your heart) I feel like the perception of RS is so different from his labour and passion as a true artist!”
“You see designer clothes on magazine covers I see a hungry actor only seeking love and validation from his audiences! Rocky Randhawa and Ranveer were irreplaceable! ( styled impeccably byEka Lakhani )No one could have done what he did! Absolutely No one and I feel grateful for him and Alia!”, he wrote further.
KJo also wrote about how he, Alia and Ranveer have built a “friendship for the ages.” He added, ''This is not just an appreciation post as a filmmaker but a post of gratitude to the universe that bought these blessed artists to play my leads! Karan Johar this side … signing off!”.
