The three-tiered cake, Kajol with Mickey Contractor (inset); Rani Mukerji joins in

Kajol, Tanishaa danced to old hits; Shabana Azmi took to the stage with Sonu Nigam
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 19, 2018)

Karan Johar pulled out all the stops to give mum Hiroo Johar a 75th birthday to remember. The luncheon was hosted on Sunday at a Bandra five-star, decorated with the birthday girl’s favourite flowers, a profusion of pink and purple, but celebrations had begun the previous night as a cake was cut at KJo’s Bandra residence to the birthday song at the stroke of midnight.

Some of the guests like Rani Mukerji, along with several others like Kajol and sister Tanishaa Mukerji, Natasha Poonawala, Tina Ambani, Kareena Kapoor Khan returned the following day. Also spotted making merry were Karan’s ‘student’ Sidharth, Shabana Azmi with Javed Akhtar who sang songs, veteran actress Waheeda Rehman, Shobha Kapoor, Shweta Bachchan who returned with mom Jaya and daughter Navya Naveli and KJo’s bestie Manish Malhotra.

“The party kicked off at around 1 pm. On the menu were Hiroo’s favourite Chinese and Indian dishes. She cut a three-tier cake, which was preceded by the screening of an audio-visual chronicling moments from Karan’s childhood days to Hiroo’s latest pictures with her grandchildren, Yash and Roohi. The twins joined in for the cake cutting,” informed a guest.

The guest said that singer Zarir Warden of One Empire band performed Hiroo’s favourite Elvis Presley hits while Sonu Nigam kept the revelers entertained for an hour, cajoling Waheeda, Honey Irani, Shabana and Javed to join him on stage. “Sonu sang songs like 'Lag Ja Gale', 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' and 'Gaata Rahe Mera Dil' among other evergreen chartbusters, a song list that had been put together by Karan himself. He had requested Sonu to perform live two months ago and both his mother and he got teary-eyed when Sonu crooned the Kal Ho Na Ho title track and 'Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin' from Agneepath. Kajol and Tanisha cheered and danced to the lively tracks,” added the source.

Shabana, who sang “Ajeeb Daasatan Hai Yeh” from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai, told Mirror that she had spontaneously joined Sonu and it was hardly a performance. “Hiroo loves Hindi film songs and Sonu was marvelous. We were clapping, cheering and doing Shammi Kapoor movements or so we thought! What the guests made of it is best not revealed,” she laughed, adding that Hiroo and Javed have been friends for years and she fondly calls him Jadu which only his close friends do and he loves her. “I know her largely through him. She is spontaneous, warm and I love Karan’s relationship with her because they are forever taking the mickey out of each other and yet love each other madly.”


Sonu Nigam, Waheeda Rehman belt out old chartbusters, Javed Akhtar joins in for bestie Hiroo, Sidharth Malhotra squeezes in a selfie with the birthday girl

Customised invites for a brunch have preceded Hiroo Johar’s 75th birthday on Sunday
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 14, 2018)

Karan Johar’s mother Hiroo turns 75 on Sunday and the filmmaker has big plans to celebrate the milestone. Besides inviting all his mother’s friends for brunch at a Bandra five-star, the doting son has sent out customised invites that come with a bottle of champagne, cake and chocolates each. The guest list has swelled up to 150, with KJo ensuring everyone close to the birthday girl makes it to the party.

A source close to the development reveals, “Since Hiroo is fond of flowers, Karan plans to decorate the venue as well as their residence with different kinds of flowers on Sunday. Even the invite was accompanied by a bunch of her favourite white roses. On the guest list is Waheeda Rehman, Neetu Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Rima Jain, Gauri Khan, Jaya Bachchan with daughter Shweta, Varun Dhawan’s mother, Karuna, Shobha and Ekta Kapoor, socialite Natasha Poonawala, among others.” The menu at the party will comprise the best of Chinese and Indian cuisine. KJo is also planning a surprise for the cake-cutting ceremony besides shopping for presents.

For his mother’s big day, the filmmaker cancelled plans of flying to Bulgaria to bring in protégé Alia Bhatt’s 25th birthday on the sets of her upcoming film, Brahmastra, on Thursday.


Waheeda Rehman, Rani Mukerji, Gauri Khan, Neetu Kapoor among invitees