It’s still two months for Diwali but the firecrackers have already started exploding thanks to two Bollywood biggies whose films will be clashing at the box-office on the festive weekend.

Ever since the time the whole KRK video went viral, there has been a splurge of accusations from across the industry and it seems that the industry is currently divided into two segments – Karan Johar and Ajay Devgn. Some believe that Ajay is innocent and KRK is framing him while other have an opinion that this whole conspiracy is just Ajay’s brainchild to badmouth Karan.

KRK, after being ruthlessly exposed of his fraudulence, held a press conference on Friday evening, to come clean on his version of the story. When asked about the audio clip of his conversation with Kumar Mangat, he said,“Kumar Mangat and I have produced two films together. We two are close friends and he keeps coming to my house. If I am not a genuine person then he should have not made two big films with me. I feel that this isn’t about Ajay Devgn’s emotional connection with the industry; it is only a matter of money. Before joining the industry, he was 2 rupees people but now he is a billionaire, so it is clearly a matter of money.”

“Ajay Devgn is targeting Karan Johar by using my name as he wants to drag the matter to the court”

“Ajay Devgn and Kumar Mangat have done all of this because when their film ‘Son Of Sardaar’ clashed with Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan,’ the entire industry requested him to push the release date but Ajay didn’t budge. Since Yash Chopra passed away, I believe this is his emotional connection. Ajay Devgn is targeting Karan Johar by using my name as he wants to drag the matter to the court. Earlier, he had filed a case against YRF that he lost and now he wants to repeat the history,” he added.

“Just to avoid him (Kumar Mangat) over the phone call, I told him that Karan Johar has given me 25 lakhs, and the very next moment he offered me money to say good things about ‘Shivaay’”

When further probed, KRK said, “Kumar Mangat asked me why I referred to ‘Shivaay’ as ‘Himmatwala 2. He asked me why I was favouring Karan Johar and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’. Why am I saying good things about the film? He is implying that if I like the teaser of ‘ADHM’, I still must pan the film. Kumar Mangat is purely putting pressure on me just because he feels we are close friends. Just to avoid him over the phone call, I told him that Karan Johar has given me 25 lakhs, and the very next moment he offered me money to say good things about ‘Shivaay’.”

“Why will I say bad things about any film just to make someone happy?”

“I never say that I don’t take money to do film promotions. I have my website and it is not a public forum. I pay salaries to everyone. I have promoted several films, some have paid me 10 lakhs, some 15 lakhs and the films for which I have promoted, I haven’t reviewed them. And charging money to promote the films is my policy. I never do it for free. During ‘Bombay Velvet’, I had said that Karan Johar had sent me a message but it was nothing like that. It became a huge controversy since the time I have asked money on camera from Karan. I saw and loved the teaser of ‘ADHM’ so I said good things about it. Why will I say bad things about any film just to make someone happy? I feel ‘Shivaay’ is ‘Himmatwala 2’ and so I said as much. As a film critic, I will decide what to say and not anyone else,” he added.

“I’ve been made a scapegoat, if you ask me. I’ll be reviewing both the movies”

He continued to defend himself by saying, “I’ve never taken money from him to promote his films. If you watch my review of ‘Action Jackson,’ you’ll see that I have not bad-mouthed him at all. On the contrary, I have appreciated him. During the clash between YRF and ‘Son of Sardaar,’ he had resorted to all sorts of tactics. You have to ask Ajay Devgn if I’m so important that he had to take to the media. Karan Johar never asked me to bad-mouth any film. I’ve been made a scapegoat, if you ask me. I’ll be reviewing both the movies. If the film (Shivaay) turns out to be good, my review will be excellent, as well.

Later Ajay Devgn, in a quick reply statement on Friday said: “We have only made you aware of what KRK has said. He is contradicting himself in explanations about what he has said in the recording and what we all have just heard in his postured press conference.”

“He has not denied that it was his voice in the recording and he is now making excuses and contradicting himself. Where is the sanity here? You have heard what I have heard. It is upto you all to decide. It’s his word against his own word,” he added.

Karan Johar has decided to stay away from the controversy brewing around Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Shivaay after Ajay Devgn demanded an investigation into KRK’s claims of having received 25 lakhs to positively promote the film.

At Express Adda when Karan was asked about the controversy, the filmmaker chose to stay dignified by not commenting about it.

Said Karan,“My self-respect, reputation, company reputation and my upbringing doesn’t allow me to dignify this question with a response.”

Karan’s response was indicative of the fact that he is not interested in becoming party to dirtying himself by commenting on the KRK-Ajay Devgn war that he too now finds himself embroiled in.