Karan Johar on Friday said it took time to bring Dhadak 2 to theatres but the censor board understood what they were trying to say through the film, about two star-crossed lovers hailing from different castes.

The Shazia Iqbal-directed movie, starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri, faced significant delays and modifications. It is now slated to release in theatres on August 1. The Hindi movie is a remake of Mari Selvaraj’s Pariyerum Perumal (2018).

“We took a while to get to the cinema halls, but even the censor board was understanding and very compassionate… (They) understood what we were trying to say through the film. They were protecting the sensitivity, and we were protecting the sensitivity. We understood and respected their perspective,” Johar told reporters at the trailer launch of the movie in Mumbai.

The producer said he is proud of the final movie, which talks about the “reality of our times” and addresses an important issue.

“Sometimes these things take time, these things can’t happen overnight. That’s why there are processes in the censor and we must follow… It took time, but every good thing takes time (to come out)…

“It is a story that makes you wake up and think. These topics are not just related to small towns, but they happen around us too. It is a true reality of our times, no matter where you live,” he added.

Dhadak 2 revolves around Neelesh (Chaturvedi), a college student who falls in love with Vidhi but their different caste backgrounds come in between their love. The film was previously slated to release in November 2024, but had to undergo several postponements.

Johar said he was not worried about the repercussions. “If I get scared in the beginning, then…. like there’s a line in the film, ‘If you’ve a choice then fight’, and the best way to point a put across is through art.” Speaking about his production banner, Dharma Productions, Johar said it has quintessentially been associated with a certain kind of cinema but they have time and again tried to shake things up.

The filmmaker said storytellers have a responsibility to pick up important themes and address them in mainstream cinema. “Though I think we’ve time and again tried to shake that up. We’ve used up themes and presented them with utmost sensitivity and that was also the need of the hour… I believe cinema is an impressionable medium. Dhadak 2 is a mainstream film, an intense love story but it’s saying something.”

Triptii, known for her roles in Laila Majnu, Bulbbul, Qala and Animal, said she is proud of the film.

“I am very proud of this film. I am very happy that I am a part of it, that I am working with such people. It was a bit challenging to play Vidhi. But I have always wanted to play those characters that challenge me as an actor. And I think this happened. and once you watch the film, you will understand why we are very proud of the film. It is something very special.”

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Chaturvedi, who has been playing characters in urban settings in films such as Gully Boy, Gehraiyaan and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan”, said the role of a small-town boy was something that he wanted to do for a long time. “Because I come from a small town, I didn’t get those types of stories. And I remember when Karan sir called me and said there is a story, I said I will do it instantly.”

“By default, I tend to choose something which is a little challenging… And if I talk about a small town, I have lived that life. So somewhere I am connected to it. And somehow those things weren’t coming, such scripts weren’t coming, and I got this,” he said.