It’s been 35 years since Agneepath hit the screens, and while it may not have been a box office success at the time, the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer has cemented its place as a cult classic. Here are some fascinating behind-the-scenes stories you might not know:

When Amitabh had to re-dub the whole film!

One of Amitabh’s most iconic dialogues remains his introduction as Vijay Deenanath Chauhan. But did you know his original deep baritone voice in the film was rejected by audiences?

Recalling the incident on Kaun Banega Crorepati, Amitabh shared, “There was a man who used to visit Kalyanji-Anandji’s home with a deep, husky voice. I thought, why not model Vijay’s voice after him? Later, I found out he came from an underground background, which suited the character perfectly. But when the movie released, the producer called, saying theatres were facing issues—audiences were tearing up seats and complaining, ‘This doesn’t sound like Amitabh, fix the sound system!’ To resolve it, I had to re-dub the entire film in my normal voice. That initial voice, though, was truly impactful.”

Who can forget the chartbuster Jumma Chumma from Hum? But did you know the song was originally meant for Agneepath? Amitabh felt it wouldn’t suit his character as a don, leading the makers to use a different track.

Interestingly, Archana Puran Singh was the first choice for the song instead of Kimi Katkar!

Back then, Devio paid  Rs. 150 for the bed, while Mithun, who was still trying to make it big, paid Rs. 75 and slept on the floor. One day, while Devio was at work, Mithun decided to use the bed — only to be scolded upon his return! This incident stayed with Mithun and later served as a reference for Krishnan Iyer’s character.

Danny Denzongpa’s iconic portrayal of Kancha Cheena in Agneepath almost didn’t happen! The role was first offered to Anupam Kher, who turned it down, feeling he couldn’t do justice to such a ruthless villain

According to Karan Johar, his mother Hiroo Johar suffered a heart attack while the family was already facing financial strain. Upon hearing the news, Amitabh rushed to the hospital and, without hesitation, offered his dates to his father, Yash Johar, for a new film—one inspired by Scarface. That film eventually became Agneepath, marking one of Amitabh’s most iconic performances.

Billionaire vaccine maker Adar Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, is picking up a 50% stake in Dharma Productions and Dharmatic Entertainment, for Rs 1000 crore, valuing Karan Johar’s film and television production and distribution flagship at Rs 2000 crore, further underpinning the ongoing flurry of consolidation in the entertainment industry.

ET broke the story online on Monday morning, ahead of a formal announcement.

Poonawalla’s is making this investment in his private capacity through Serene Productions. Dharma will retain the residual stake with Johar continuing to remain as the creative spearhead of the company, as Executive Chairman. Apoorva Mehta remains the Chief Executive Officer.

Dharma is owned 90.7% by Karan Johar and 9.24% by his mother, Hiroo.

“I do foresee consolidation in this industry. Internationally, we've seen a lot of consolidation due to new content creation methods and distribution channels,” Poonawalla told ET. “With the evolving landscape of content production and distribution, I see significant potential for such partnerships both internationally and nationally.”

The key factor that led to stitching together this alliance is Johar retaining creative control while partnering with a deep pocket family he is familiar with. The Poonawalla investment will help the production house with enough financial muscle to navigate the fast-changing demands of digitally savvy consumers who are often digital natives. The investment will also boost Dharma’s efforts to double down on content for new platforms and formats while continuing to deliver interesting stories for a global audience.

“This partnership will help us create more verticals within the organization and allow us to take creative chances. This gives us the bandwidth to expand Dharmatic Entertainment and create much more in the digital domain,” added Johar. “It also allows us to capture a lot of value in the value chain which comes with owning IP and catalogue – we have already been doing that and hope to double down on it with this capital.”

Film production is a volatile business with earnings linked to box office successes of films. Major Hindi film production houses, including Dharma, have been cautious in greenlighting new projects due to the unpredictable nature of the box office, which also impacts the value of streaming and satellite rights, ET had reported on October 14.

Johar said, the company’s attempts will be to increase the value and create more content. “We aim to produce a higher volume of films with this partnership compared to what we're currently doing. With shrinking audiences and an overreliance on streaming rights, Johar feels a strategic business shift is already underway. “Mid-budget films are the backbone of the film industry's economics, and we need to explore this segment further, alongside our tentpole productions, to create a more diverse and sustainable portfolio of films,” he said.

The industry is experiencing major upheavals due to shifting consumer preferences, influenced by exposure to global content and the increasing dominance of on-demand consumption in urban areas. Additionally, the economic model is strained, with star salaries often consuming up to 70% of a film’s budget. Consolidation on the demand side, with the emergence of large broadcasters, streaming platforms, and multiplexes, is also putting pressure on content companies like Dharma. Satellite rights, once a steady revenue stream, have plummeted to historic lows, and the value of streaming deals, which was funding movie costs in many cases, is being corrected, further straining the economics of the film business.

In the theatrical space, multiplexes now dictate a film’s success, contributing an estimated 60–70% of Hindi films' box office revenue, while single-screen theaters continue to struggle. Post-COVID, many viewers prefer to wait 8–10 weeks to watch films on OTT platforms, leading to reduced footfall in cinemas.

Some industry players are already contemplating profit share model or box office linked payouts to offset rising star costs. “It's essential not to overload our above-the-line costs. While we respect actors' talent and craft and want to pay what's fair, all artists must understand the current challenges in the entertainment industry. There's enough potential in big films for everyone to gain,” said Johar.

Dharma has been actively seeking investments for a while and had engaged in talks with several large conglomerates and industrialists like Sanjiv Goenka’s Saregama, a company they already have business ties to become part of a cash-rich conglomerate. Some discussions with Reliance Industries and Jio Cinema also did take place.

Raine Group was the advisor to the deal.

Dharma Productions posted a nearly fourfold surge in revenue to Rs 1,040 crore in FY23, from Rs 276 crore the previous year. Net profit, however, fell 59% to Rs 11 crore due to a 4.5-times rise in expenses at Rs 1,028 crore, according to the company's latest available financial data accessed from Tofler. In FY23, the company earned Rs 656 crore from distribution rights, Rs 140 crore from digital, Rs 83 crore from satellite rights, and Rs 75 crore from music. This compares with earnings of with earnings of Rs 19 crore, Rs 167 crore, Rs 34 crore, and Rs 21 crore from these streams, respectively, in FY22.

Founded by Johar’s father Yash Johar in 1976, with its first venture starring Amitabh Bachchan in a film called Dostana, Dharma has been led by Johar and his team since his father passed away. Johar directed his first movie at 25, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, and has gone on to produce close to 50 Bollywood including hits like 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, 2 States, Kapoor & Sons and Dear Zindagi’. Seen as a launch pad for several young actors, many from well-known film families like Allia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khatter and Ananya Pandey among others. In 2018, the company launched Dharmatic Entertainment to diversify and create original content for global streaming platforms and has worked with global OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime to create and produce shows like “The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives”, “Call Me Bae”. From blockbuster films Johar was also among the first of his peers to migrate to multi-media himself, becoming a chat show host for the popular Koffee with Karan show.

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Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla-led Serene Productions on Monday said it will pick up a 50 per cent stake in Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Dharmatic Entertainment for Rs 1,000 crore.

The past few months had witnessed speculation in the entertainment industry that Karan Johar was planning to sell a stake of Dharma Productions. Saregama and Reliance were said to be frontrunners.

With this deal, Poonawalla—the CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII), and Chairman of Poonawalla Fincorp—is foraying into entertainment through his Serene Productions.

The deal, which sees Karan retaining his position as the Executive Chairman and Apoorva Mehta as the CEO, is being viewed as a win-win for both parties. In terms of numbers prima facie, this deal values Dharma— which includes its digital arm, Dharmatic Entertainment—at Rs 2,000 crore. Sources say it is an optimistic valuation.

An insider says, “Karan has got a good valuation. Technically, Dharma’s revenue fell by 50 per cent in the last financial year. In 2022-2023, its revenue was said to be at Rs 1,000 crore. Brahmāstra: Part One—Shiva [2022] was a major contributor to the profit. However, in 2023-24, even though the company witnessed a spike in its digital and music earnings, its total revenue had a 50 per cent drop as it did not have a blockbuster. But Adar has invested in the company, looking at its equity and Karan’s creative might. A part of the Rs 1,000-crore investment will be directed to the original investors—Karan and his mother Hiroo Johar—while the remaining will be allocated towards production.” 

For Poonawalla, who has long been friends with Karan, it is a strategic investment as it gives him a significant stake in the media industry. Another source breaks it down, “For Adar Poonawalla, it’s a great diversification after dominating the pharmaceutical and financial sectors. This move will bring corporate culture into the corridors of Dharma. All the heavy lifting that Karan and Apoorva had been doing, in terms of cost management, will now be delegated.”

As is the norm with such deals, the company is expected to undergo restructuring. “Some of Adar’s people will take key positions at Dharma, and there will be a lot of lay-offs,” says  another source. 

It is understood that the roles will be clearly divided in the 50-50 partnership. Decades after his filmmaker-father Yash Johar founded Dharma in 1976, Karan took the company to new heights with his vision. He not only helmed many blockbusters—from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) to Student Of The Year (2012)—but also backed many directors, becoming something of Bollywood’s big daddy.

“Now, Karan will spearhead the company’s creative operations and lead it from the front. Adar wants to stay away from the creative aspect. So, everything related to films will be handled by Karan, including the star fees and the budget on which a film is to be mounted. Adar will look at the operational aspects, probably telling him how much money can be spent on the workforce, how much bonus to be given, and so on.” 

The equal partnership that Poonawalla’s deal afforded was one of the reasons why Karan inked the deal. In contrast, Saregama, owned by Sanjeev Goenka, and Reliance Industries were reportedly in the bidding war to buy a majority stake in Dharma.

A source reveals, “Saregama was willing to acquire the stake for Rs. 800 crore. Adar outbid both the players. But another crucial reason is that neither of those giants would have gone into a 50-50 partnership. It has been seen historically that Reliance eventually acquires the companies it buys stakes in.” The partnership is being viewed as a huge boost for the Hindi film industry, which has been struggling since theatres reopened after the pandemic-induced shutdown.  

- Adar Poonawalla is the CEO of Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine-producing company in terms of volume, which produced Covishield in India. He is also the Chairman of Poonawalla Fincorp. 

- The Rs 1,000-crore investment in Dharma Productions marks the pharma tycoon’s foray into the entertainment industry with Serene Productions. 

- In the 50-50 partnership, Karan Johar will retain his Executive Chairman position and spearhead the creative operations. Apoorva Mehta will continue as the CEO.

- Part of the investment will be directed to the original investors—Karan and his mother Hiroo Johar—while the remaining will be allocated towards production.

- Saregama and Reliance Industries were said to be in the bidding war to buy a majority stake in Dharma.

Over the past 26 years, Karan Johar has built a stellar career in films. If he has any regret, it’s that his late producer-father Yash Johar couldn’t witness his success for long. The filmmaker, who is the first guest on Zakir Khan’s new show Aapka Apna Zakir, has opened up about how his father’s journey in the movies prepared him for the industry’s cut-throat nature.

“My father turned producer with Dostana [1980]. I’ve witnessed a lot of failures through my father’s journey, and that is when I realized that nothing is easy. I’ve also seen the way the industry reacted to him when a film didn’t work. It was tough to see him go through all that, but it also makes you resilient,” he recalled.

In the episode, Karan also reminisced about how his father would call him his ‘aankhon ka noor’. “My father used to say, ‘You’re so handsome, you should become a hero!’ My mother [Hiroo Johar] used to roll her eyes, saying, ‘Don’t listen to your dad, you have no qualities of a hero.’ Acting wasn’t something I wanted to do, but my father had full conviction in me. When I made Kuch Kuch Hota Hai [1998], he used to take me everywhere and tell everyone, ‘My son is the best director in all of India.’ He left us too soon. My biggest regret is that he wasn’t with me when Dharma Productions was going through its best phase.”

Mumbai: Dharma Productions, promoted by film producer Karan Johar, reported a nearly four-fold increase in revenue to Rs. 1040 crore for the fiscal year ending March 2023, compared to Rs. 276 crore in the previous fiscal.

The company’s revenue growth was driven by Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s Brahmastra: Part One: Shiva. The film collected Rs. 418 crore in worldwide gross box office collections. Apart from Brahmastra, the company also released Govinda Naam Mera and Selfiee, featuring Vicky Kaushal and Akshay Kumar, respectively, during the fiscal.

The company’s net profit decreased by 59% to Rs. 11 crore due to a 4.5-times increase in expenses to Rs. 1,028 crore. Karan Johar owns a 90.7% stake in the company, while his mother, Hiroo Johar, owns 9.24%.

Business intelligence platform Tofler has obtained the financials from the company’s regulatory filings.

In FY23, Dharma’s income from distribution, digital, satellite, and music rights stood at Rs. 656 crore, Rs. 140 crore, Rs. 83 crore, and Rs. 75 crore, respectively. In the year-ago period, the four revenue streams contributed Rs. 19 crore, Rs. 167 crore, Rs. 34 crore, and Rs. 21 crore, respectively, to the company’s top line.

In 2020, Dharma received a show cause notice from the GST department seeking an explanation as to why GST amounting to Rs. 117 crore, including interest and penalty, for the period July 2017 to August 2020 should not be levied due to GST rate differential on certain taxable services.

Email sent to Dharma Productions CEO Apoorva Mehta didn't elicit any response till press time.

On Wednesday, Karan Johar unveiled the teaser of Showtime, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Emraan Hashmi. The Disney+ Hotstar series, set in the film industry, delves into the nepotism debate with Hashmi’s character even saying, “Nepotism ke mukhautey ke peeche, har outsider insider banna chahta hai.”

The subject has haunted Johar, who has been branded ‘the flag-bearer of nepotism’ by many, for the past few years. But recently, on Koffee With Karan 8, the filmmaker-host reflected how his producer-father, the late Yash Johar, and he have seen the flipside of stardom.

“My father would have had the biggest laugh if he read that they called me the flag-bearer of nepotism,” he said, recalling how his father went through a lean phase when his productions bombed at the box office.

“Many of his films failed, one after the other. I remember my mother [Hiroo Johar] selling her jewellery and my grandmother’s apartment.”

The movie industry is infamous for its fickle friendships. Karan said he witnessed it first-hand. “I remember we used to get première invites. So, when the seats in the stalls used to [be allotted], my father used to say, ‘Zara phone karke check karna ki yeh seat aage wali hai ki peeche wali hai.’ Most of the time, it was aage wala, and he used to say, ‘These seats are bad. You go with your friend.’ He had worked with superstars. Many times, those stars would have parties or events, and they wouldn’t invite [him] after his film failed.”

We’ve come to expect witty one-liners and wisecracks from Karan Johar. But in the latest season of Koffee With Karan, the filmmaker has shown a more emotional and vulnerable side to him. He continued in the same vein as he shot for the grand finale of India’s Got Talent 8 earlier this week. As part of the episode, the six finalists celebrated Johar’s 25 years in cinema, through their acts—a gesture that left him moved.

The filmmaker, who recently enjoyed a smash hit in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, reflected on his successful run in the industry, attributing it to his late producer-father Yash Johar’s goodwill.

“When my father entered the industry, he received love and respect, and made many films, but he didn’t get the success he should have received. When my first film [Kuch Kuch Hota Hai] was released, I felt that the entire industry prayed that it work for my father’s sake. It has been 19 years since he left us. Whatever I have achieved, it’s all because of his goodwill and blessings. Whenever I am going through tough times, I feel that he gives me strength.”

Calling mother Hiroo Johar “a strong presence” in his life, the filmmaker revealed that she watches India’s Got Talent for judge Kirron Kher. “Whenever I sit with my mother to watch the show, she always notices the sarees Kirron-ji wears. It drives me crazy when she demands the exact jewellery that Kirron-ji is wearing in the episode.”

I had no idea that Camilla would become such an iconic cameo. Even now, when young girls bump into me, they sing her background track, She Wants your Money! After a 16-hour flight from Mumbai to New York for the shoot, my bags did not arrive. I had no time to shop for clothes or essentials. By the time I got to the hotel, Karan’s (Johar) mother, Hiroo aunty, ensured my room had all that I might need — clothes, toiletries, skincare.

I can’t believe it has been 20 years [since the film released]! I have lovely memories associated with the film, which was anchored by Karan Johar. In fact, Karan was involved with my character to another level. He knew what my look would be, what colour my saree would be, how my hair will look, etc. He was guiding me throughout, even though he was not the director of the film. I still remember, when Saif Ali Khan got to know that I will play the role of his mother, he refused to believe it. I had to make him believe. As for the song Gujju, I think it worked because it was something fresh, funny and colourful.

Kal Ho Naa Ho was the biggest and the best thing that ever happened to my career. I am sure there were lots of people who wanted to be in my shoes, but I got the part and I am grateful for it. People still remember my character, despite the film featuring big names such as Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan. Sweetu is a character that will stay with me forever; it started my career in films. In school, Karan (Johar) and I were in the same age group. We were in different schools, but we used to participate in inter-school elocution competitions. When Karan introduced me to Shah Rukh, my hands were cold. I remember an incident when we were on the boat and my scarf got tangled, it was disturbing me. Shah Rukh effortlessly helped me and that made it to the final cut!

When I was offered the role, I thought I was entering the film industry at the age of 46 or something. As a supporting actor, you didn’t start your career at 46. My husband was like, ‘Don’t be silly, you are good at drama and emotion, and it is a fun group’. That’s when I decided to do it. We had a lot of fun making the film in New York. The biggest thing is that people still remember me for the line ‘jism ki bhook’. I don’t remember the lines, but whoever I meet remembers them. The makers asked me if I had seen Jism before I started rolling, and I hadn’t, but decided to do it my way. The best memory was working with Shah Rukh Khan. I didn’t have a big role, yet people remember me so well.

There is little that is outside Karan Johar’s comfort zone. It all comes naturally to the filmmaker — from going behind the camera, to being the sassy host of a chat show, or being a judge on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Ready with the 10th season of Colors’ dance reality show, Johar says he thoroughly enjoys it, thanks to his Punjabi genes. “I am not a trained dancer, but I have the energy of a Punjabi,” he quips in his trademark humour.

“[Earlier], we were taught that if you are a filmmaker, you should have a serious personality. I have never [lived by] that; I stay true to my energy. I have broken all the myths around filmmakers. No matter how mad I look, if I feel like dancing on the stage, I will. Dancing comes from a place of abandon.”

To the filmmaker-judge, dance is synonymous with a sense of freedom. It’s also a reminder of the joys of his childhood days. “My father [Yash Johar] would encourage me to dance when my friends used to come over. He would say, ‘Karan dances well to Dafli wale dafli baja. Karan, nacho.’ I would dance with abandon. My parents encouraged me, regardless that it was Jaya Prada’s steps [I was emulating]. Nobody told me you are a boy, and so-and-so should be your behaviour pattern.”

In the upcoming season, Johar will be joined by Madhuri Dixit-Nene and Nora Fatehi on the judges’ panel, as television actors Dheeraj Dhoopar, Rubina Dilaik, Shilpa Shinde, and others put on their dancing shoes. Many often call out reality shows for being scripted, but Johar dismisses such talk. “For Jhalak, we have never been prepped or told what to say. Every time I have been a judge on a reality show, it has always been me [voicing my thoughts]. I have never followed a script.”

He goes on to add that at home, he has an ardent fan of reality shows in mother Hiroo Johar. “I have seen my mother clap for contestants or cry for them. Sometimes, when I go home, I see that she is upset because a certain contestant has been eliminated. I have even taught her how to vote. My kids [Yash and Roohi] don’t watch reality shows. The day they will go to YouTube and watch my [episodes], I am scared they will hold it against me.”

He's a man of many skills - director, producer, writer, anchor - all rolled into one. The 'Jo' of many trades, trying to make the most of them all. And now, he has taken on a new role of a lifetime, with twice as much energy, passion and love. He's the brand new daddy in town, who says, “I am a caretaker, caterer and housekeeper. It is like being the man of the house with a new responsibility.“ With Father's Day coming up tomorrow, Karan Johar tells us about the bliss of parenthood, the conversations he has with his babies, and the role his other star kids like Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan will play in their lives. Read on...

This year has been a turning point in your life, with what you call your “biggest production“ - the birth of your lovely babies, Roohi and Yash. How life-changing has it really been?
It's beautifully overwhelming; it has changed the vibe in the house. I'm happiest about the fact that it has brought back a new energy in my mother's (Hiroo Johar) demeanour, and just to see that means everything to me. Everytime I enter my home and see her having conversations with the babies, it is endearing. Everything they say about babies coming into your life is true, none of it is exaggerated.

We know of Karan Johar as the filmmaker, the chat show host, et al. Tell us about KJo as the brand new daddy...
Well, parenting becomes a part of your beat; it's the way you adapt. I have always been exceptionally resilient in adapting to most circumstances, but when I see those faces and I know that they are mine. There is an inherent switch within me that turns on. The one thing that I would like to say is that as a parent, you have to follow your own path; everyone has volumes of advice to offer, at times it's even contradictory. You have to find your feet and do your own thing. I get a lot of advice on everything - from formula milk and nursery schools to the do's and dont's of nurturing babies - but I do it my way. Suno sabki, karo apni.

With the entry of her grandkids, has your mom's focus completely shifted to them?
I don't think that my mom's focus will ever shift from me (laughs!). I will always remain the be-all and end-all of her life. What is great is that she looks at the kids as a big part of me, and now, that's a big part of her. My mom has adapted really well; she knows that today, some things are done differently and she wants to learn those afresh.

Most of us fear being lonely. Was your decision to have babies ever driven by the fact that you didn't want to be alone?
Did my children come into my life because there was emptiness and loneliness? No, because children don't fill that part. It is not the part that lies unloved that they fill. The kids utilize the love that is within me. So, they don't fill the empty space in my heart, they consume the love within. I look at it that way. The part that is empty in you will probably continue to be that way. Many people walk around lonely, and children can't fill that void. The kind of love you are talking about is romance or eternal love... If you don't find that, your heart can very well lie empty. There is abundant love in other parts of your soul, and when children come into your life, you can feel that they are energising that love. I guess that's what the birth of my children has done to my life.

You are known to take breaks and scoot off to your favourite destinations around the world. This time, you took paternity leave. Quite a change?
It was a great phase. I took time off from work for a month-and-a-half. During that time, I became a caretaker, caterer and housekeeper - all rolled into one. It is like being the man of the house with a new responsibility. Suddenly, I am BFFs with everyone in the kitchen as I am dealing with them most of the time. Earlier, I never got into the day-to-day functions of the house, now I have to. I have to coordinate between the kitchen and the nursery. I feel I have given birth to lovely babies and for the past few months, I have been marketing them to my friends and family. Finally, when they are one year old, I will talk about how my beautiful film has released.

In India, we rarely come across men who are single dads by choice. It must have been a difficult and well-thought-out decision. Even later on, just explaining all this to the children will be no mean feat...
I don't know of a third single dad by choice, besides Tusshar and me. More power to Tusshar for taking the step and giving hope and strength to many others, including myself. Of course, this was always in my radar and mindspace. I put a great deal of thought into it; after all, it is a huge responsibility and you have to emotionally equip yourself for it. Infrastructure, facility and resources are all secondary. The emotional machinery is what you need the most to raise and nurture a child. You have to be emotionally ready to bring life into this world. Then, you have to ensure that those lives are given all the love and care. What we say and what we do in the initial years is what truly designs the mind of the child and they live with it for the rest of their lives. When we speak of people going through emotional issues in their adult lives, a lot of it traces back to their childhood. So, our responsibility as parents is that much more gigantic. We have to be emotionally ready for that, everything else is just a modality. I felt I was ready for it. I was at a great midpoint of my life, now my second half has to be better. The only way it could have been better is with these beautiful children. In the past, at the end of the day when I hit the bed, I would sleep either with thoughts of the next morning or the pressures of the day gone by. Now, I hold on to the visual of my smiling babies (though they rarely smile at me at this stage). We have a very strong conversation going on between us. I talk a lot to them and I am sure that something is settling in somewhere. I also sing to them in my besura awaaz, so I am doing a lot that is wrong as well, because if one of them has a chance at a career in singing, I have already nipped that in the bud! I'm sure that by now, they know that their father is the most tuneless and tone-deaf human being.

What about your other adopted kids like Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra? Have they taken on their part of responsibility, too?
Their roles have been designated - Varun and Sidharth are their chachus and Alia is their didi. Well, Alia was always the daughter, she is the first-born in that sense. The kids have to call her didi. She drops in often to see them and I really want them all to have a special bond. I want my kids to know that they have family even if they are not biologically related. My cousins are now their aunts and buas and I have young actors who are their chachas. Roohi and Yash are already related to a lot of people in the industry. They have to be ready for that. I am very clear that in six months, they will be in a crèche in Dharma (Productions) and they will be a big part of my system. I refuse to be a paranoid parent. My parents weren't like that and I won't be like that, either. I was a shy and introvert kid, but from a young age, my mom encouraged me to interact with people. My parents were people-friendly and I want to raise my kids to be like them.

On Mother's Day, Farah Khan sweetly tweeted to wish you, and now, Father's Day is coming up (June 18). Playing mom and dad to two kids is double responsibility and double the joy too, right?
I felt that Mother's Day was totally my day, and I will feel the same way on Father's Day. In my lifetime, I have the privilege of being a mom and a dad, how superb is that! Clearly, both Mother's Day and Father's Day are mine and I will make sure that my kids celebrate both. I will also get gifts on both these days. I think that I am the best 'deal' for my kids, as they are getting two for the price of one. Of course, they are my superstars and the biggest stars that I have ever worked with, as I have to really work with them.Needless to say, I am overjoyed at the thought of it.

On Wednesday noon, producer-director Karan Johar's twins, Roohi and Yash, were discharged from the suburban mother-and-childcare facility where they had been kept since their premature birth on February 7.
The director took his bundles of joy home to granny Hiroo Johar, who settled them into their newly-created and decorated nursery. Daddy Karan reached the hospital a little past 12 pm, completed the required paperwork and took his babies home, with help from the hospital staff. When we spoke to Karan a day before the big day, he said, “My babies are doing well. I have received lots of presents for them. There's a room full of those packets, but I think my children are the best presents for me. With them, I don't think I would ever need anything around me. And with me around, they wouldn't need anything else. I don't know what will be the first thing that I will do when I bring them home. But I know that they're coming from the hospital. I need to settle them in. Before that, I will survey everything and ensure that the house is in order. I am mummy and daddy to them, so I have dual responsibility to ensure my kids are happy and healthy.“
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Doc advises filmmaker to keep social life low key as his prematurely born twins are susceptible to infection
Sonil Dedhia and Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 30, 2017)

Karan Johar, who embraced fatherhood via surrogacy last month, finally took home his newborns, Yash and Roohi, yesterday. The twins were born premature and spent seven weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a Santacruz hospital. The filmmaker, known for hosting lavish just-like-that parties, will however have to wait to celebrate their arrival with friends and well wishers.

Dr Bhupendra Avasthi, who has been monitoring the kids’ health, tells midday, “Karan is emotionally attached to the babies and is sincere as a father. He’d regularly come to check on them [ when they were in the NICU]. I am sure he will be able to look after them really well by himself." The baby boy is named after KJo’s filmmaker-father, late Yash Johar; the girl is called Roohi, an anagram of his mother’s name, Hiroo.

The doctor adds over the past two months, the kids’ health has significantly improved. “They were two-and-half months premature and weighed less than 1.5 kgs. In the last 51 days, their weight has nearly doubled.”

Karan has been advised to take the kids to hospital for routine check-ups. “Normally, babies have low immunity and in case of premature births, extra precaution is mandatory. Regular follow-up [ check-up] is of utmost importance, so that we can monitor their growth. Deficiencies that they had during birth also need to be checked. We have fixed dates to conduct tests and ascertain their health. He [Karan] needs to keep a tab on the number of guests he receives; the babies are susceptible to infection.”

Sources say friends will start dropping in today to wish him, but none will be allowed to meet the kids for at least a month. A special crib has been designed with a protection net to keep infection at bay. A nurse has also been appointed. A source says, “Karan’s mother is a doting granny, and constantly keeping vigil at the babies’ side.”