Today, Karan Johar is one of the most popular names in Bollywood. Very few director-producers have attained the level of fame like Karan Johar has.
Even his films have a special place in popular culture, but not many people know that Karan Johar began his career on the sets of Aditya Chopra’s 1995 blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which starred Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol – two actors who have since collaborated with Karan Johar on multiple occasions.
My go-to movie. Can’t stop smiling while watching #DDLJ #24YearsOfDDLJ@iamsrk @yrf @itsKajolD @DDLJ pic.twitter.com/5CDCbQBedl — Mikkhail Vaswani (@MikkhailVaswani) October 20, 2019
Recently, at the All India Management Association’s ninth National Leadership Conclave, Johar talked about meeting Shah Rukh Khan and Aditya Chopra, saying it was part of his destiny to cross paths with the two stalwarts of the Hindi Film Industry.
Talking about Chopra and Khan, Johar said, “Two pillars; two reasons why I sit here today. They acknowledged something about me that I didn’t see in myself. I will always be grateful to them for that. The rest was a lot of just passion. I may have been as sincere as I was. But what happens when you don’t have people who are in powerful positions like that?”
Loved #RockyAurRaniKiPremKahaani.
The larger-than-life quality of the film makes it a vibrant escapist watch but its acknowledgment and questioning of our prejudices and flaws renders it deeply empathetic. Ranveer asking, "If we keep canceling each other, when will we ever… pic.twitter.com/QPsoWe1K1y — Ram Venkat Srikar (@RamVenkatSrikar) August 4, 2023
At the All India Management Association’s ninth National Leadership Conclave, Johar won the Director Of The Year Award for the Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt starrer Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
The Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani director added that while he was lucky to meet people with deep connections to the industry, with his own father, Yash Johar, being a successful producer, he did face "struggles" later on in his career.
Johar said, “My first step was because two people who were not related to me by blood or family believed in me strongly. It has a lot to do with destiny, but nothing happens without hard work.”
Johar, who was an assistant director on Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and also played a minor role in the film, talked about directing Amitabh Bachchan in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…, saying “I am grateful to Amit uncle for allowing me to be a director, and give instructions.”
Suraj Hua Maddham By Sonu Nigam.
🎬: Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham https://t.co/dDznT86VJY pic.twitter.com/R9jFie0Jpo — 𝐌𝐫 Deep (@SRKzz_Deep) April 21, 2024
Since then, Karan Johar has worked with Shah Rukh Khan in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, and My Name Is Khan.
