Rishi-KJo Problem

 

After the Koffee with Karan controversy, Rishi Kapoor puts Ayan Mukherjee in a tight spot. Make a film with your best buddy Ranbir, he says. But keep KJo out of the picture. Ayan Mukerjee, of Wake Up Sid fame, is in a bit of a fix. He has been asked to choose between his best friend Ranbir Kapoor and mentor Karan Johar.

Last week the Wake Up Sid director Ayan Mukerjee got a jolting wake-up call from his best-friend Ranbir Kapoor’s father Rishi Kapoor.

Ayan was all set to direct Ranbir for the second time for Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. The two buddies, Ayan and Ranbir, were happily working on a second script that would take them beyond Wake Up Sid.

The  script had been locked in and the second Ranbir-Ayan collaboration  for Karan Johar was to go on the  floors in early 2011.

Then the fall-out between Rishi Kapoor and Karan Johar over remarks on Ranbir on Karan Koffee With Karan happened.

Now Ranbir and Ayan are caught in the crossfire. Rishi Kapoor called Ayan over and gave him an ultimatum. Ayan would have to choose between working with either Ranbir Kapoor or Karan Johar. Frightening choices for the painfully young director since he is equally close to both Ranbir and Karan and can’t think of making a film in the absence of either.

Rishi, still seething about Sonam Kapoor and Deepika Padukone’s comments on Ranbir on Koffee With Karan, confirms that he has indeed given Ayan the dreadful ultimatum. Says Rishi, “Ayan came over to discuss the matter with me. I clearly told him neither me nor Ranbir will work for any Dharma production. If Ayan still chooses to work with my son I’ve offered to get him another producer to produce his second film.”

This turn of events has greatly distressed both Ayan and Ranbir. Mutual friends are trying their utmost to bring about a rapprochement between the two families and end the deadlock over Ayan’s film, as well as debutant director Karan Malhotra’s Agneepath to be produced by Karan Johar, where Rishi is to play a pivotal part.

Say a source, “Neither Rishi nor Karan is the kind to hold grudges for too long. The cold war is bound to end. In the meanwhile Ayan and Ranbir are squirming in  the crossfire.”

Says Rishi, “We Kapoors are small people. Who are we to pick fights and have cold wars? Like Ranbir Karan apna hi bachcha hai. We’re all fond of him. But as far as I am concerned none of us Kapoors will work in a Dharma Production.”