Meena Iyer (DNA; May 25, 2019)

It’s Karan Johar’s 47th birthday today. As reported by After Hrs earlier this week, the blockbuster filmmaker-cum-talk show host has flown to New York to celebrate his big day.

Before he took off, we got our fix of KJo’s magic and mantras. Charismatic as always, he addressed everything from midlife crisis to his anxieties with a candour that is rare and so welcome.

Over to Karan:

First things first, what are your thoughts on turning 47?
There was a point of time when I was very excited about turning 40. I thought it would be a new innings in my life, which in any case it was. So many exciting things have happened to me in my 40s. Like my company (Dharma Productions) has grown, my kids —  Roohi and Yash — came. It has been a new life with my babies; they have changed my 40s around. I thought there would be the advent of a love story. I put the message out into the Universe and it came true through my children. The love that I was seeking in terms of a relationship, which I never had, and the loneliness that I felt is gone. The decision to have my children has changed my 40s around and it has changed my mother’s 70s around. It has transformed the fulcrum of our existence. At 47, I have two emotions. One of excitement that I am heading towards the mid-point of my life. There is so much I have to achieve before I turn 50. And the second is anxiety. Sometimes, I feel I have lesser and lesser time with my babies with whom I have the best love story going on.

But do you have any thoughts about ageing too? 
There are some thoughts. When I started dressing in a certain way two years ago, I suddenly realised that what I was actually going through was a midlife crisis. I realised I was growing older, so suddenly a lot of colour came into my wardrobe. All the hipster clothes, which maybe I am too old for, came. I don’t care what others think. I am happy with the colours and designs. There are many thoughts in my head — fear, anxiety, excitement and acceptance of my midlife crisis.

However, no outward signs of your midlife crisis are showing?
Well, I just felt I should do everything that I have wanted to do. At a certain point in my life, I may not be able to pull some of this off. If I feel like pouting to my camera, I do just that. There is a lot of abandon. With wisdom comes abandon and there is a certain carefree spirit in my demeanour. I have accepted how I am and I’m not apologetic about it.


Karan Johar with his wax replica at Madame Tussauds in Singapore

Karan, the seven years since your 40th have seen many highs for you — your book (An Unsuitable Boy), your statue at Madame Tussauds, etc.
I feel fortunate that I have been given a platform to achieve my dreams (making the films I want) and also fulfill some of my hobbies. I have done everything that I love. I love fashion, so I have dabbled in it. I like the idea of being a talk show host and I have that going on for the last 14 years. I love walking on red carpets across the world and I have done that. I have always wanted to tell my story and I did that in my book. I was excited to be at Madame Tussauds because I said, ‘Heck, why not a filmmaker? Why do only actors have to have all the glory?’ I’m happy I’m there. Everything I have always wanted to do cinematically and in my hobbies, I have been able to do in my 40s. I feel blessed. It has opened my plethora of dreams and I feel happy that I achieved most. Now, I feel I have to create new dreams and set new benchmarks. I am hugely excited about what can come beyond this year, beyond 47.

Is there a part two to An Unsuitable Boy?
Yes, there is. I have spoken to Poonam Saxena (my co-author), Shobhaa De and my publisher at Penguin who were with me on my first book. I will definitely do another one. But not immediately. There is so much more to talk about, but I will wait a few years. As I expressed earlier, there’s a lot to address like my fears and anxieties. My babies, who have brought a new aura and energy into my life, will feature in part two of An Unsuitable Boy.

You have a new office closer to your home?
Yes, I do because that way I can spend more time with the babies. Besides this office in Andheri, I also have one in Bandra for my digital work. I have made some structural changes around my professional routine so that I can give my kids the maximum time. I am also blessed to have a mother who is completely hands on. She is there for me and my babies 24/7. This makes me feel peaceful and happy. Instead of making Roohi and Yash work around my schedule, I have been a good parent and worked my schedule around them. That way I can maximise my time around them.


His kids — Roohi and Yash (left) and his style is always on point

Is Roohi more possessive about you?
No. I am only trying to get her attention. I have to chase her to give me a hug and a kiss. On the other hand, each time my son spots me, he flashes a big smile and welcomes me with open arms. Only a parent can understand what that feels like. He gives me all the hugs and kisses I crave for. When I walk into the room, Yash runs into my arms. What happens in my heart at that time is something I cannot describe in words. Barring your own children, who else meets you with so much excitement? I’m always running behind Roohi, who is totally her grandmom’s girl. She calls my mother, ‘Mamma’. My son is interested in me and Roohi is interested in my mother. So, we have our balance right.

Finally, what’s with the grey showing at the temples? Is it deliberate?
No! It’s my hair colour that has let me down (laughs).


Karan with his mother Hiroo Johar and his twins, Yash and Roohi

It’s been ten years but the memories of those days are still fresh. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi had released in cinemas and the perception was that the film has not worked among the audiences and that it was bound to fail in the days to come. Moreover, the monstrous biggie Ghajini was to release two weeks later and many felt the film would crash even before the Aamir Khan starrer would be out. On top of that, the ghastly 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai happened just two weeks before its release. Again, the belief was that the mood in the country was sombre and that audiences are not ready to go out in cinemas.

In a few days however, the scenario became clear. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi had a great weekend and held very well in the weekdays! And the word of mouth was extremely positive which is why the great box office performance. The release of Ghajini definitely affected the film a bit but it went on to do a business of approx. Rs. 85 crore, which was a huge number then.

The skeptics also had issues with the low promotional strategy adopted by the makers, Yash Raj Films. It however worked very well in the favour. During Diwali period (October 2008), the first look was revealed. In cinema halls, lenticular posters were put up. When viewed from one side, it showed a scared, bespectacled Shah Rukh Khan dancing and posing with the then newbie Anushka Sharma, dressed in Indian attire. View it from another angle and you see SRK now a confident, ‘cool’ chap holding a smiling Anushka, both now dressed in western clothes. The trailer was unveiled on November 14, with the release of Dostana and it did nothing to tell the viewers about the story! Everyone was wondering that why does Shah Rukh Khan have two diametrically different avatars in the film? Is there a double role involved? Or split personality? Or does the film have a flashback sequence and hence the two looks, a la Kuch Kuch Hota Hai?

It’s only when the film was released that the mystery was unveiled. Most films end with the hero and heroine getting hitched. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi however commenced showing them tying the knot and beginning their married life. But sadly, the union of Surinder Sahni (SRK) and Taani (Anushka Sharma) is lifeless as the latter doesn’t love him at all and has made it clear to him. The shy and naive Sahni on the other hand loves her to death and is unable to say so. The story actually moves when a few days later, Taani joins a dance school and Suri goes there after having a makeover just to see her having a good time. Interestingly, he too is compelled to enrol and Taani is made his dancing partner.

What happens next is why many thought that the film may not work. Suri is moustachioed, mild-mannered and soft-spoken. But after his makeover, he pretends to be loud, wannabe and cool. He wears flashy clothes and calls himself Raj and addresses his wife as Taani Partner. And yes, the mooch is gone! Shockingly, Taani fails to recognize him! Not once does it cross her mind that her dancing partner’s facial features and height is very similar to that of her hubby.

A section of moviegoers were aghast with such a plot. Surprisingly, the film worked big time with the audiences. Yes, it did look somewhat difficult to digest but the film worked very well on an emotional level. To give credit to the makers, they did try their best to ensure Raj doesn’t have an inch of Suri in him. From hairstyle to way of talking to clothes to the flirtatious nature, Raj was the exact opposite. So it was entirely unconvincing that Taani failed to recognize the man she married.

Would Aditya Chopra make a similar film in today’s times? Probably not. The culture of trolling and social media has reached epic proportions. In 2018, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi would have been criticized left, right and centre on Twitter by a section of media and high-nosed netizens. Although less than 1% of people are on the microblogging website, it still scares the makers a lot. And hence, for a film like Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi that is made for a pan-India audience, such criticism would have hardly affected. Some of the criticism would also be unfair since the same social media population wouldn’t have minded Lois Lane not realizing that Clark Kent is Superman but that’s a different topic!

Yet, the fear of social media is too high and somewhere, the conviction that was there at one point is withering away. Karan Johar, in his autobiography ‘An Unsuitable Boy’, looks back at his first directorial venture, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which released ten years before Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, and also starred SRK along with Kajol and Rani Mukerji. He himself picks up flaws in the film in a chapter in the book! He says, “Shah Rukh says, ‘Ek hi baar jeete hai, ek hi baar pyaar hota hai.’ But he got married again, he fell in love again, so why was he saying these things? It didn’t make sense.” He then adds, “Rani is writing eight letters to her daughter (to be given to her on each of her birthday). What did she write in the first three letters? Gagagoogoo?! And how did she know (that eight years hence), Kajol was going to be free and available (for marriage with SRK)?” Karan Johar then observes, “It was just conviction. I’m envious of the conviction I had in 1997 when I wrote (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai) because today, that conviction has got too logical. Today, you think, oh my god, log kya kahenge, critics kya kahenge. But we never cared about all these things then, we were like, Hindi picture hai, banao!”

Critics of this argument would reason that times have however changed and what worked then back won’t work today. But Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi worked so well, didn’t it? Last year, didn’t the ‘catapult’ scene of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (pictured below) worked, as also the film, despite the heavy slamming it got on social media? There are many such instances. There’s no formula honestly speaking. However, if the film is relatable, rooted and touches viewers emotionally, a few blemishes and goofs here and there are fine. In Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, so many people saw themselves in the lead characters – women trapped in loveless marriages, men who don’t know how to profess their love to their wife whom they love a lot, ‘macho men’ who want to build muscles to impress girls and so on. And the way the characters are sketched and the manner in which the film flowed was loved. And if the climax has a punch, the film most probably is a winner. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi was no exception. It’s climax – when Taani finds out about the truth during the dancing competition finale – is brilliant to say the least! When viewers are getting so much in return, they were able to forgive the ‘apne-pati-ko-pehchaan-nahi-paayi’ bit!

It’s surprising to see how Aditya Chopra managed to have this conviction then. It’s high time our makers learn from the success of this film and take a bit of cinematic liberty. If it’s a big Hindi entertainer, it’s okay to have cinematic liberties provided you provide viewers with entertainment and moments that they can take home. The downside sadly is that sometimes, the makers get carried away and the result is a film that’s miles away from any sort of reality. That’s also not right and a balance is required. Here’s hoping this happens soon and the good, old days of quintessential, big-budget, typical Hindi movies are back!

He went for her birthday, she ‘liked’ a picture of his twins, he ‘followed’ her back on Instagram but they won’t comment on their emotional reunion. Here’s Kajol and Karan Johar’s friendship status
Meena Iyer (MYMBAI MIRROR; August 9, 2017)

On Tuesday, around 2 pm, Filmfare tweeted, “Now this is the happiest news we have heard.” After a yearlong cold war, Karan Johar and Kajol have finally patched up. The news sparked speculation about what had brought the former besties together after an ugly fall-out last year around Diwali.

Mirror has learnt that on August 5, Kajol invited family and a few friends to celebrate her 43rd birthday. And she decided to extend an olive branch to her longtime friend and director by sending him an invite too. “She’s never been big on parties. It was an informal lunch. Karan sportingly turned up. They hugged, chatted for a couple of hours and Karan teared up. When he left the ice had melted. They did not touch on the issues that had created the rift,” informed a source.

The online world woke up to the reconciliation when Karan shared the first pictures of his twins, Yash and Roohi, on Raksha Bandhan. Kajol ‘liked’ the post and Karan returned the favour by hitting the ‘follow’ button on her profile.

Social media has played a significant role in this story. Last year around Diwali, Kajol’s husband Ajay Devgn and Karan had locked horns over the release of their respective films, Shivaay and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, that faced-off at the box office. Self-appointed critic Kamaal R Khan’s revelation during a recorded phone conversation with Ajay’s longtime friend Kumar Mangat that he had been paid to sabotage Shivaay had not gone down well with the leading lady of KJo’s blockbusters Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham and My Name Is Khan. She reacted with a one-word tweet, “Shocking!”

Referring to the tweet, Karan acknowledged in his autobiography An Unsuitable Boy that that’s when he knew it was completely over for him. “She can never come back to my life… she’s killed every bit of emotion I had for her for 25 years. I don’t think she deserves me. I feel nothing for her anymore,” he raged.

Kajol and Ajay chose to maintain a stoic silence. In an interview to Mirror (Oct 24, 2016) Ajay said, “All I can say is whatever was there was over long ago and has nothing to do with professional work. There are personal reasons for it which I don’t think anybody would want to talk about.”

Kajol had been equally evasive. When prodded about her former friend, she had told Mirror (July 26), “Since you are expecting an answer, I am going to give you one. This is not the time or place to clarify. I would prefer not to speak about it.”

Their camaraderie was the stuff of industry lore, their unabashedly back-slapping could make a third person feel out of place — Rani Mukerji shifting uneasily on the sofa next to Kajol during an old episode of KJo’s talk show comes to mind. Kajol was Karan’s lucky charm, making guest appearances in films that did not feature her, and a regular fixture at Karan’s residence, pampered the most by his mother, Hiroo, and the only actresses who stood out with her frankspeak on Koffee With Karan, thereby demonstrating that she could get away with murder as far as KJo was concerned.

Meanwhile, despite acting in one of Karan’s production, Kaal, Ajay never really warmed up to his wife’s BFF but never objected to it either. This changed when he was reportedly told that Karan had been badmouthing Kajol and his family at a party. He gave Karan an earful over the phone. In February, Karan admitted to a senior journalist that he was hurt about how Ajay had responded to “hearsay” without giving him a chance to defend himself. He was equally upset with Kajol. “She should not have allowed her husband to say such things to me and even if he had, she shouldn’t have endorsed it. She should have picked up the phone and said ‘sorry’ for that entire situation,’’ he had said.

The KRK episode was the last nail in the coffin, with KJo making a full disclosure in his book: “I don’t have a relationship with Kajol anymore. We’ve had a fall-out. Something happened that disturbed me deeply which I will not talk about because it’s something that I like to protect and feel it would not be fair to her or to me. After two and half decades, Kajol and I don’t talk at all. We just acknowledge each other, say ‘hello’ and walk past.”

But, as they say, no friendship or enmity is permanent in Bollywood. According to the source, things began to change after the arrival of KJo’s twins this February. The new father sent Kajol a picture of his babies but things were far from back to normal. On July 29, Karan was seen scurrying off the stage at an awards show he was hosting when Kajol walked up to receive an award on Ajay’s behalf. Jeetendra and his son Tusshar Kapoor, who were on the stage with Kajol, looked confused by his hurried exit. He returned only after she had stepped off. Earlier, he had gone the extra mile to avoid her and Ajay at another awards show in March.

It was another text message that buried the hatchet. Kajol invited Karan to her birthday; He RSVPed ‘Yes’. “It was an emotional reunion, they genuinely care for each other,” said the source, adding that Ajay was absent from the scene. When Mirror contacted the duo, they refused to give an official comment. Their reason was interestingly the same — they feel the patch-up is in nascent stage and want to give it time before waxing eloquent about beautiful forevers.

Delhi-based lawyer and KJo's relative says extended family disturbed by portrayal in filmmaker's memoir. They have a problem with how he describes his late dad, Yash Johar, was treated by them and the claims that they had a 'halwai ki dukan'
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 18, 2017)

Filmmaker Karan Johar was refreshingly uninhibited while describing his professional and personal life in the recently-released autobiography titled, 'An Unsuitable Boy'. But, his extended family hasn't taken well to his candour. The book that was received with enthusiasm by fans for its heartwarming revelations, sees Johar describe how his late father, Yash Johar, was treated by the family.

The 44-year-old filmmaker's claim that the family ran a 'halwai ki dukan' is the first of many unpleasant details that the Delhi-based family is taking objection to. Rajiv Nayar, senior advocate at the Supreme Court, who is husband to one of Johar's cousins, tells mid-day, "My family is extremely hurt about the picture that has been painted. We are all on the same page in concurring that his book contains inaccuracies and gross factual errors."

Nayar is especially upset with a chunk where the director says his father was assigned the job of sitting at the sweetmeat shop counter, "probably because he was the only one who had been educated up to a point and spoke English well."

This, says Nayar, has hurt family members, some of whom have retired from noteworthy positions. Sources say the late filmmaker's eldest brother, Ved Prakash Johar, even earned a degree from New York's Columbia University.

In the book, Johar says it was his grandmother who persuaded Yash Johar to run away and fulfil his dreams. "You are made for greater things", she is believed to have told her son, even designing a robbery at her home to hand him money to move to Mumbai, where he landed his first job as film photographer.

KJo's relatives are apprehensive about taking legal recourse, given that "it's a family matter". They hope to resolve the issue amicably, failing which they will "take up the matter legally," Nayar says. Mid-day reached out to KJo and his spokesperson but didn't receive a comment.

MUMBAI MIRROR (January 21, 2017)

Days after its launch, Karan Johar’s autobiography An Unsuitable Boy continues to create a buzz, be it on television, radio or social media. The book that is flying off the shelves in bookstores and moving fast on online shopping portals, is being lauded by critics as an incredibly real book. Adjectives like ‘shocking’ and ‘confessions’ that were used to describe the content before the release, have now been replaced by description of it being a ‘significant memoir’ that is ‘brutally honest’.

The release of the book was one of the most talked about events in recent times — be it for its celeb attendance or content. Leading the brigade at the book launch in Mumbai was Shah Rukh Khan, who not only unveiled the book but also gave a heartfelt speech on his protégé and close friend. Calling his friend special and beautiful, Khan went on to give reasons on why the book could also have been called ‘The Good Boy’, ‘The Intelligent Boy’, ‘The Sensitive Boy’ and ‘The Brave Boy’.

SRK added, “After 25 years of work, and 51 years of age, I truly believe I’ve arrived because I have a full chapter in Karan’s book,” he concluded.

Noted columnist and novelist, Shobhaa De moderated the interview at the event, which was also attended by Karan’s mother, Hiroo Johar, Gauri Khan, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra, Ayan Mukherjee, Shakun Batra, Abhishek Varman, Punit Malhotra and Kajal Anand, among others.

DNA (September 2, 2016)

Karan Johar’s biography, An Unsuitable Boy hits stands later this month. This would also coincide with the promotional campaign of his next, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which is set for a Diwali release.

“The orders began pouring in, two months ago. Now, it is slated for late-September. It makes sense now since the buzz around ADHM would start picking up by then,” informs our source.

AUB is co-authored by Karan Johar and Poonam Saxena, and is described as ‘an honest, heartwarming and personal account of Karan’s life and the business of Bollywood’.

“The hints about this were given by Karan himself right at the beginning of the year at the Jaipur Literature Festival,” the source adds, “The event was held in January and Karan had bared his heart out around what to expect from the film. Rest assured, An Unsuitable Boy would see him opening up like never before.”

“Karan would be giving a detailed account of his childhood days, how he was mocked by bullies for being different, the love and affection that he got in these troubled times from his parents and later, his eventual entry into Bollywood. He also has interesting anecdotes to share, about why his mother wanted his directorial debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to flop and the journey that he has had since then to Ae Dil Hai Mushkil,” an insider comments.

Considering the fact that even without a biographical account, Karan has been known for his superb sense of humour as well as inherent frankness about matters related to him as well as friends and colleagues, one can well expect him to go full-throttle, now that he has taken it upon himself to present a biographical account of himself.