Karan Johar is in London to ring in his birthday. The reason why he is feeling healthy, happy and heady today is because he has lost nine kilos after a visit to a spa in Austria. A picture of his new avatar on a photosharing site has created quite a furore.

However, what's uppermost on Karan's mind even as he turns a year older is his undiminishing passion for Bollywood. This Diwali, he will release Ae Dil Hai Mushkil with Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Speaking about his penchant for movies, he says, “Movies are a 20-year-old habit. I watch all movies. It is part of the job. Cinema is truly my oxygen. I practically live in my office. I want to make movies right till I die. People ask me, 'So what do you want to do? Do you want to go public, like coming out with an IPO (Initial Public Offering)?' I say, 'No, I'm content making movies.' I didn't get into making television software because it is cinema that I am passionate about. I do not know any other medium as well as I know this one. My passion, unapologetically, is Hindi cinema. With all its mainstream issues, with all its sell-outs sometimes, I breathe and eat Hindi cinema. The only music on my laptop are Hindi film songs.''

Taking a deep breath, Karan continues, “The movies I revisit when I want to be in my comfort zone are Kabhie Kabhie, Masoom, Do Bigha Zamin, Pyaasa and Mughal-e-Azam. These are films I grew up on and they make me happu. My go-to song is Lag jaa gale from Woh Kaun Thi. I listen to this song at least four times a week. Sometimes I smile while listening to it or sometimes I cry. It depends on my state of mind. I do not know anything but Hindi films. Of course, I am aware of what is happening around the world politically, socially and economically. That apart, my driving force is Bollywood. Give me a great piece of cinema from my country ... and that's what makes me the happiest.''