Takht (film)
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Karan Yash Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar; 25 May 1972), often informally referred to as KJo, is an Indian filmmaker, producer and television personality who primarily works in
Hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
. He has launched the careers of several successful actors and filmmakers under his company
Dharma Productions Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Yash Johar in 1979. It was taken over in 2004, after his death, by his son, Karan Johar. Based in Mumbai, it mainly produces and distributes H ...
. The recipient of several accolades, including three
National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
and seven
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Times G ...
, he has been honoured with the
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
by the
Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
in 2020. The son of producer Yash Johar, he made his directorial debut with the romantic comedy-drama ''
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' (transl. ''Something Happens'') is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Karan Johar, in his directorial debut, and produced by his father Yash Johar. It stars Shah Rukh Khan, ...
'' (1998), which earned him the
National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment The National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India, and was constituted in the year 1975. This is one of th ...
(as director), the
Filmfare Award for Best Director The Filmfare Best Director Award is one of the main awards presented given by the annual Filmfare Awards to recognise directors working in Hindi cinema. It was first presented in 1954 in the inaugural year. Superlatives Bimal Roy has the re ...
and the
Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay The Filmfare Best Screenplay Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. Multiple Winners ; ; * Both Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani won the award twice jointly. List of winners ...
. His next films, the family drama '' Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' (2001) and the musical romantic drama ''
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' (transl. ''Never Say Goodbye''), also abbreviated as ''KANK'', is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film directed by Karan Johar, who co-wrote the screenplay with Shibani Bathija. It was produced b ...
'' (2006), were both major commercial successes in both domestic and overseas markets. His social drama ''
My Name Is Khan ''My Name Is Khan'' is a 2010 social action drama film directed by Karan Johar and co-written by Shibani Bathija and Niranjan Iyengar. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in the lead roles, and is a co-production between India, the United St ...
'' (2010) earned him his second Filmfare Award for Best Director. Johar produced the spy thriller '' Raazi'' (2018) and the biopic '' Shershaah'' (2021), both of which won him the
Filmfare Award for Best Film The Filmfare Award for Best Film is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. The award was first given in 1954. Here is a list of the award winners and the nominees of the respective years. Eac ...
, with the latter also earning him the National Film Award – Special Jury Mention as producer. Later, as producer of the fantasy film '' Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva'' (2022), he won the inaugural National Film Award for Best Film in AVGC. These, along with other films he has produced or directed under his company, have established him as one of the leading filmmakers in Hindi cinema. Johar has also ventured into other avenues of the entertainment industry. He hosts a television talk show, ''
Koffee with Karan ''Koffee with Karan'' is an Indian talk show hosted by filmmaker and television personality Karan Johar and produced by Dharmatic Entertainment, the digital content division of Johar's production company Dharma Productions. It debuted on 19 No ...
'' since 2004, a dating show ''What the Love!'' and a radio show ''Calling Karan'', and appeared as a judge on competition reality shows '' Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa'' and ''
India's Got Talent India's Got Talent is a televised Indian Hindi, Hindi language talent show series and is part of the ''Got Talent franchise''. The program is produced and distributed by Fremantle (company), Fremantle and Syco Entertainment. The show aired on C ...
.''


Early and personal life

Johar was born on 25 May 1972 in
Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
, India to a Punjabi father, film producer Yash Johar, founder of
Dharma Productions Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Yash Johar in 1979. It was taken over in 2004, after his death, by his son, Karan Johar. Based in Mumbai, it mainly produces and distributes H ...
and a Sindhi mother, Hiroo Johar. He grew up in what he calls a "
cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Internationalism * World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship * Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community * Cosmopolitan ...
house", as they all communicated in English and his father, an Arya Samaji, would begin his day by reciting
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
,
Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
and
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
prayers. He studied at the Green Lawns High School. In his autobiography, '' An Unsuitable Boy'', Johar recounts that he took the entrance test of the elite all-boys boarding school,
The Doon School The Doon School (informally Doon School or Doon) is a Selective school, selective all-boys Private school, private boarding school in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India, which was established in 1935. It was envisioned by Satish Ranjan Das, a lawyer ...
in Dehradun, but scored a zero in mathematics. This led the then headmaster Gulab Ramchandani, who was Hiroo's uncle, to write a very "emotional letter" to her, declining admission for her son. After Greenlawns High School, Warden Road, he attended H.R. College of Commerce and Economics, both in Mumbai. Johar started his career in the entertainment industry as an actor, when he played the role of Shrikant in the 1989
Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...
serial ''
Indradhanush ''Indradhanush'' (English: Rainbow) is an Indian children's television series that aired on DD National channel. The series was produced and directed by Anand Mahendroo. It also featured several young actors like Karan Johar, Urmila Matondkar ...
''. As a child, he was influenced by commercial Indian cinema: He cites
Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor (; born as Shrishti Nath Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influen ...
, Yash Chopra and
Sooraj Barjatya Sooraj R. Barjatya (born 22 February 1964) is an Indian filmmaker who works in Hindi cinema. He has directed and produced some of the List of highest-grossing Hindi films, most commercially successful Hindi films. His films often include themes ...
as his inspirations. For a time, Johar followed
numerology Numerology (known before the 20th century as arithmancy) is the belief in an occult, divine or mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events. It is also the study of the numerical value, via an alphanumeric system, ...
, creating film titles in which the first word and a number of others in the title began with the letter K. After watching the 2006 comedy-drama ''
Lage Raho Munna Bhai ''Lage Raho Munna Bhai'' (; translation: ''Keep Going, Munna Bhai'') is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language satirical comedy drama film written, edited and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Abhijat Joshi, and produce ...
'' which was critical of numerology, Johar decided to stop this practice. Discussing his
sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring personal pattern of romantic attraction or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. Patterns ar ...
, Johar said "Everybody knows what my sexual orientation is. I don't need to scream it out. If I need to spell it out, I won't only because I live in a country where I could possibly be jailed for saying this". In February 2017, Johar became father to twins (a boy and a girl) through
surrogacy Surrogacy is an arrangement whereby a woman gets pregnant and gives birth on behalf of another person or couple who will become the child's legal parents after birth. People pursue surrogacy for a variety of reasons such as infertility, danger ...
. The twins were born at Masrani Hospital in Mumbai. Johar named his son Yash after his father, and his daughter Roohi named by rearranging his mother's name Hiroo. In 2020, the
death of Sushant Singh Rajput On 14 June 2020, Indian actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his room in Bandra, Mumbai, aged 34. The cause of death was ruled as suicide, with official postmortem reports confirming Rajput died of asphyxia due to hanging. The Mumbai ...
sparked a debate on
nepotism Nepotism is the act of granting an In-group favoritism, advantage, privilege, or position to Kinship, relatives in an occupation or field. These fields can include business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, religion or health care. In ...
in the Hindi film industry. Johar was one of the personalities who was targeted by the late actor's fans for allegedly encouraging
nepotism Nepotism is the act of granting an In-group favoritism, advantage, privilege, or position to Kinship, relatives in an occupation or field. These fields can include business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, religion or health care. In ...
by casting children of established Bollywood stars in his films instead of outsider talents. Johar was first accused of this by
Kangana Ranaut Kangna Amardeep Ranaut (; born 23 March 1986) is an Indian actress, filmmaker, and politician serving as a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, Mandi since June 2024. Known for her portrayals of strong-willed, u ...
on ''Koffee With Karan''. Various members of the industry came to his defence. A complaint was filed against Johar and other Bollywood actors "for abetting" Rajput's suicide. Discussing nepotism, Johar said that his production house has introduced 21 debut directors, "out of which, I can say, 16–17 are not 'nepotistic' young filmmakers. They are not from the fraternity or the industry. They are completely from outside." Regarding his casting insiders, Johar said, "Why do they discredit some of the actors who are from (the industry)? I think they are talented enough to face the camera".


Film career


Director


Initial work, debut and breakthrough (1995–2001)

Johar entered the film industry as an assistant director and actor on his cousin,
Aditya Chopra Aditya Chopra (born 21 May 1971) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and studio executive who works in Hindi cinema. He is the Chairman of India's multi-national film, media, and entertainment conglomerate Yash Raj Films (YRF).
's (1995), which is one of the most successful films to date. He made his own directorial debut with the romantic comedy-drama ''
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' (transl. ''Something Happens'') is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Karan Johar, in his directorial debut, and produced by his father Yash Johar. It stars Shah Rukh Khan, ...
'' (1998). The first half of the film centers on a college love triangle between an insensitive boy (
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...
), his tomboyish best friend (
Kajol Kajol Devgan (née Mukherjee) (; born 5 August 1974), known mononymously as Kajol, is an Indian actress. Described in the media as one of the most successful actresses of Hindi cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, such as six ...
), and the prettiest girl at the college (
Rani Mukerji Rani Mukerji (; born 21 March 1978) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Noted for her versatility, she is the recipient of multiple accolades, including eight Filmfare Awards. Mukerji has featured in listings of the leading and hi ...
), while the second half centers on the now-widowed boy's attempt to reconnect with his best friend who is now engaged to marry a businessman (
Salman Khan Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; born 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who predominantly works in Hindi films. In a career spanning over three decades, his awards include two National Film Awa ...
). The film became a major blockbuster at the box-office and received positive reviews from critics. Writing for PlanetBollywood.com, critic Anish Khanna commented that "Johar makes an impressive directorial debut, has a good script sense, and knows how to make a film with S-T-Y-L-E." It won the
National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment The National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India, and was constituted in the year 1975. This is one of th ...
. It swept most of the major awards at the
44th Filmfare Awards The 44th Filmfare Awards were held on 21 February 1999, in Mumbai, India. Karan Johar's directorial debut ''Kuch Kuch Hota Hai'' led the ceremony with 18 nominations and 8 wins – including a sweep of the major acting categories, a record it ...
, including Best Film,
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * As ...
, and all four acting awards. Johar achieved his breakthrough with the ensemble family drama '' Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' (2001). The film starred
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...
as an egotistical rich industrialist,
Jaya Bachchan Jaya Bachchan (''née'' Bhaduri; born 9 April 1948) is an Indian actress and politician. She is regarded as one of the greatest actresses of Hindi cinema. She is serving as member of the parliament in the Rajya Sabha from the Samajwadi Party ...
as his compassionate wife, and
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...
and
Hrithik Roshan Hrithik Roshan (; born 10 January 1974) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He has portrayed a variety of characters and is known for his dancing skills. One of the highest-paid actors in India, he has won many awards, including si ...
as their two sons. It also featured
Kajol Kajol Devgan (née Mukherjee) (; born 5 August 1974), known mononymously as Kajol, is an Indian actress. Described in the media as one of the most successful actresses of Hindi cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, such as six ...
and
Kareena Kapoor Kareena Kapoor Khan (; ; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress. A prolific leading lady of Hindi cinema since 2000, she is noted for her roles in a range of film genres—from romantic comedies to crime dramas. Kapoor is the recipient ...
as sisters from a lower-class family who become the love interests of Khan and Roshan respectively. The film became Johar's second consecutive major blockbuster at the box-office and received positive reviews from critics. Critic Taran Adarsh commented that Johar "confirms the fact that he is the brightest in film firmament. The premise
f the film F, or f, is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet and many modern alphabets influenced by it, including the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of all other modern western European languages. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounc ...
is simple, but it is the storytelling that deserves the highest marks." ''Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...'' earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director.


Widespread success (2006–10)

Johar's third directorial venture was the ensemble musical romantic drama ''
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' (transl. ''Never Say Goodbye''), also abbreviated as ''KANK'', is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film directed by Karan Johar, who co-wrote the screenplay with Shibani Bathija. It was produced b ...
'' (2006), which dealt with the controversial subject of marital infidelity and dysfunctional relationships set against the backdrop of
non-resident Indians Overseas Indians (ISO: ), officially Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and People of Indian Origin (PIOs) are people of Indian descent who reside or originate outside of India (Including those that were directly under the British Raj). According to t ...
(NRIs) living in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. The film's plot follows a washed-up athlete (
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...
), whose frustration with his wife (
Preity Zinta Preity G. Zinta (pronounced ; born 31 January 1975) is an Indian actress primarily known for her work in Hindi films. After graduating with degrees in English honours and criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in '' Dil Se..'' in 19 ...
) results in an extramarital affair with a family friend (
Rani Mukerji Rani Mukerji (; born 21 March 1978) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Noted for her versatility, she is the recipient of multiple accolades, including eight Filmfare Awards. Mukerji has featured in listings of the leading and hi ...
), a schoolteacher who is also unhappy with her marriage to her childhood friend (
Abhishek Bachchan Abhishek Bachchan (; born 5 February 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Hindi films. Part of the Bachchan family, he is the son of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. From 2012 to 2016, Bachchan appeared in ...
). The film emerged as Johar's third consecutive major blockbuster at the box-office and emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film of all time in overseas markets at the time. It received highly positive reviews from critics who praised Johar's departure from the directorial style of his first two films. Rajeev Masand wrote, "Few writers have such solid control over their screenplay as Johar does. Few understand the intricacies of narrative as well as he does. Johar goes from highs to lows, from plateaus to peaks with the ease of a pro. He knows exactly how to turn a seemingly ordinary scene into something special with just that one line of dialogue, or that hint of
background music Background music (British English: piped music) is a mode of musical performance in which the music is not intended to be a primary focus of potential listeners, but its content, character, and volume level are deliberately chosen to affect behav ...
." The script of the film which was co-written by Johar received recognition by a number of critics and was invited to be included in the library of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...
. ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' earned him his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. Johar's next directorial venture was the social drama ''
My Name Is Khan ''My Name Is Khan'' is a 2010 social action drama film directed by Karan Johar and co-written by Shibani Bathija and Niranjan Iyengar. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in the lead roles, and is a co-production between India, the United St ...
'' (2010), his first film not written by him. The plot follows a Muslim man with Asperger's syndrome and his Hindu wife, played by
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...
and
Kajol Kajol Devgan (née Mukherjee) (; born 5 August 1974), known mononymously as Kajol, is an Indian actress. Described in the media as one of the most successful actresses of Hindi cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, such as six ...
, who live in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
and face racial prejudice after
11 September attacks The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
. The film became Johar's fourth consecutive major blockbuster in both domestic and overseas markets, and received rave reviews from critics who praised Johar's unconventional directorial style. Critic Subhash K. Jha wrote that the film "is a flawless work, as perfect in content, tone, and treatment as any film can get." ''My Name Is Khan'' won Johar his second Filmfare Award for Best Director.


Continued success and experimental projects (2012–18)

For his next feature film '' Student of the Year'' (2012), Johar chose not to cast established actors for his lead roles and instead recruited three debutante actors ( Sidharth Malhotra,
Alia Bhatt Alia Bhatt (; born 15 March 1993) is a British actress of Indian descent who predominantly works in Hindi films. Known for Alia Bhatt filmography, her portrayals of women in challenging circumstances, she has received List of awards and nomin ...
and
Varun Dhawan Varun Dhawan (; born 24 April 1987) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. One of India's highest-paid actors, he has been featured in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list in the 2010s. He starred in 11 consecutive box-office successes b ...
). The plot revolved around the quest of a group of students who are all gunning for the title of "Student of the Year" at their college. The film was a moderate commercial success and received mixed reviews from critics. Some called it "supremely entertaining and enjoyable," while others called it "a film which suffers from the lack-of-a-story syndrome." Johar then teamed up with
Zoya Akhtar Zoya Akhtar (born 14 October 1972) is an Indian director, producer and screenwriter who works in Hindi films and series. Born to Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani, she completed a diploma in filmmaking from New York University, NYU and assisted dire ...
,
Anurag Kashyap Anurag Kashyap (born 10 September 1972) is an Indian filmmaker and actor known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of four Filmfare Awards. For his contributions to films, the Government of France made him a Knight of the Ordre ...
, and
Dibakar Banerjee Dibakar Banerjee (born 21 June 1969) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer and advertisement-filmmaker known for his work in Hindi films. Banerjee started his career in advertising, being a feature filmmaker, he still continues to ...
for ''Bombay Talkies'' (2013), an
anthology film An anthology film (also known as an omnibus film or a portmanteau film) is a single film consisting of three or more shorter films, each complete in itself and distinguished from the other, though frequently tied together by a single theme, premise ...
released to celebrate the centenary year of Hindi cinema. Each of these directors made one short film to contribute to the large anthology. The plot of Johar's film followed a magazine editor (Rani Mukerji) who discovers that her husband ( Randeep Hooda) is gay after an interaction with an intern at her office ( Saqib Saleem). The film did not perform well at the box-office, but earned positive reviews from critics, with major praise for Johar's segment earning him a nomination for the
Queer Palm The Queer Palm is an independently sponsored prize for selected LGBT-relevant films entered into the Cannes Film Festival. The award was founded in 2010 by journalist Franck Finance-Madureira. It is sponsored by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Mart ...
award at the
2013 Cannes Film Festival The 66th Cannes Film Festival took place from 15 to 26 May 2013. American filmmaker Steven Spielberg was the Jury President for the main competition. French actress Audrey Tautou hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. The French film ''Blu ...
. Johar's next directorial venture was the musical romantic drama ''
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil ''Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'' () is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film written, directed, and produced by Karan Johar under the Dharma Productions banner. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai, and Fawad ...
'' (2016). The film featured
Ranbir Kapoor Ranbir Kapoor (; born 28 September 1982) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi-language films. He is one of the highest-paid actors of Hindi cinema and has featured in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list since 2012. Kapoor is the re ...
as a man dealing with an unrequited love for his best friend, played by
Anushka Sharma Anushka Sharma (; born 1 May 1988) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She has won many awards including Filmfare Awards and IIFA Awards. Sharma has appeared in ''Forbes India''s Celebrity 100 in the 2010s and was featured by ''F ...
. It also featured
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (; Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil language, Tamil films. Rai won the Miss World 1994 pageant and later established herself as one of the most-popu ...
as an older woman who engages in a brief relationship with Kapoor's character, and
Fawad Khan Fawad Afzal Khan (born 29 November 1981) is a Pakistani actor, producer, screenwriter, songwriter and singer known for his work in films and television. Khan is a recipient of several accolades, including a Filmfare Award, two Lux Style Awards ...
as the love interest of Sharma's character. The film emerged as his fifth major blockbuster at the box-office and received positive reviews from critics, who called it "Johar's most grown-up film yet." ''Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'' earned him his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. Johar teamed up again with Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, and Dibakar Banerjee for ''
Lust Stories ''Lust Stories'' is a 2018 Indian Bollywood, Hindi-language anthology film, consisting of four short film segments directed by Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, and Karan Johar and based on the concept of the 2013 anthology film Bo ...
'' (2018), an anthology film released on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
that served as a follow-up to ''Bombay'' ''Talkies''. The film was praised for its exploration of female sexuality, a subject rarely dealt with in Indian films. Johar's segment revolved around a newly married schoolteacher ( Kiara Advani) whose husband (
Vicky Kaushal Vicky Kaushal (; born 16 May 1988) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards, and has appeared in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list of ...
) fails to recognize her lack of sexual satisfaction.


Career expansion (2018–present)

In August 2018, Johar took to Twitter to announce his next film ''Takht'', a
period drama A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents history, historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction s ...
based in the
Mughal era The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...
. It was supposed to feature an ensemble star cast of
Ranveer Singh Ranveer Singh Bhavnani (; born 6 July 1985) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Ranveer Singh, several awards, including five Filmfare Awards. He is among the highest- ...
, Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt,
Vicky Kaushal Vicky Kaushal (; born 16 May 1988) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards, and has appeared in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list of ...
,
Bhumi Pednekar Bhumi Pednekar ( born 18 July 1989) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Known for her portrayals of headstrong small-town women, she is the recipient of several awards, including three Filmfare Awards. After working as an assistant ...
,
Janhvi Kapoor Janhvi Kapoor (born 6 March 1997) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi and Telugu language, Telugu films. Born to film actress Sridevi and producer Boney Kapoor, she made her acting debut in 2018 with the romantic drama ''Dhadak'', which w ...
, and
Anil Kapoor Anil Kapoor (born 24 December 1956) is an Indian actor and producer who works primarily in Hindi cinema, Hindi films, in addition to Indian television and international films. In a career spanning over 40 years as an actor and since 2005 as a ...
. With a screenplay by Sumit Roy, dialogues by Hussain Haidry, and music composed by
A. R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967), also known by the initialism ARR, is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist known for his works in Indian cinem ...
, it was supposed to be the second film directed by Johar that was not written by himself. In an interview with ''
Firstpost Firstpost is an Indian news website owned by Network18 Group, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC TV18. It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions. The Network 18 group was originally owned by Raghav Bahl. In January 2012, the gro ...
'', Johar stated that ''Takht'' would begin filming in September 2019. However, owing to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the entire project was postponed, with Johar stating that he would pick it up again in the future. In 2020, he reteamed with Banerjee, Akhtar and Kashyap for the horror anthology film ''Ghost Stories'', the sequel to ''Lust Stories''. ''Ghost Stories'' premiered on Netflix on 1 January 2020. His segment in the film told the story of a newly-married woman ( Mrunal Thakur) and her experience with her husband's (
Avinash Tiwary Avinash Tiwary (born 15 August 1985) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films and series. He had his first major roles in the television series ''Yudh (TV series), Yudh'' (2014) and in the film ''Tu Hai Mera Sunday'' (2016). He gained recogn ...
)
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...
. Unlike its predecessors, it received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics upon release. In July 2021, it was announced that Johar would direct a romantic comedy family drama instead, titled ''
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani ''Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'' (transl. ''Rocky and Rani's Love Story'') is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Karan Johar and written by Ishita Moitra, Shashank Khaitan, and Sumit Roy. Produced by Dharma Produ ...
''. The film starred
Dharmendra Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Dharmendra is widely considered one of the greatest, most h ...
, Jaya Bachchan,
Shabana Azmi Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950) is an Indian actress of film, television and theatre. Her career in the Hindi cinema, Hindi film industry has spanned Shabana Azmi filmography, over 160 films, mostly within independent and neorealist paral ...
, Ranveer Singh, and Alia Bhatt in lead roles. It was released on 28 July 2023 and emerged as a critical and commercial success, ranking as the seventh highest-grossing Bollywood film of the year. It marked Johar’s second directorial project not written by himself and earned him his sixth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. On his 52nd birthday in 2024, Johar announced that his next directorial, set to release in the second half of 2025.


Producer

Johar's directorial work (with the exception of
anthology film An anthology film (also known as an omnibus film or a portmanteau film) is a single film consisting of three or more shorter films, each complete in itself and distinguished from the other, though frequently tied together by a single theme, premise ...
s ''Bombay'' ''Talkies'' (2013), ''
Lust Stories ''Lust Stories'' is a 2018 Indian Bollywood, Hindi-language anthology film, consisting of four short film segments directed by Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, and Karan Johar and based on the concept of the 2013 anthology film Bo ...
'' (2018) and ''Ghost Stories''(2020)) has been produced under the
Dharma Productions Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Yash Johar in 1979. It was taken over in 2004, after his death, by his son, Karan Johar. Based in Mumbai, it mainly produces and distributes H ...
banner, founded by his father Yash Johar and taken over by him after his father's death in 2004. In addition to his own directorial work, he has produced several films by other directors under the Dharma banner. Many of these films have become major critical and commercial successes including ''
Kal Ho Naa Ho ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (, ), also abbreviated as ''KHNH'', is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language romance film, romantic Comedy drama, comedy drama film directed by debutant Nikkhil Advani, Nikhil Advani from a script written by Karan Johar and Niranjan Iy ...
'' (2003), '' Dostana'' (2008), ''
Wake Up Sid ''Wake Up Sid'' is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age Comedy drama, comedy-drama film written and directed by Ayan Mukerji in his directorial debut, and produced by Karan Johar under the Dharma Productions banner. T ...
'' (2009), ''
I Hate Luv Storys ''I Hate Luv Storys'' is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Punit Malhotra, in his directorial debut. It was jointly produced by Hiroo Yash Johar and Karan Johar under Dharma Productions, and Ronnie Scr ...
'' (2010), '' Agneepath'' (2012), a '' remake of the 1990 cult classic movie of the same name'', ''
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani ''Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'' (), also abbreviated as ''YJHD'', is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age romantic comedy film directed by Ayan Mukerji, written by Mukerji and Hussain Dalal, and produced by Karan Johar under Dharma Produc ...
'' (2013), '' 2 States'' (2014), '' Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania'' (2014), ''
Kapoor & Sons ''Kapoor & Sons'', also known as ''Kapoor & Sons (Since 1921)'', is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language family comedy-drama film directed by Shakun Batra and produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar, and Apoorva Mehta under Dharma Productions, in c ...
'' (2016), ''
Dear Zindagi ''Dear Zindagi'' () is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Gauri Shinde. Produced by Gauri Khan, Karan Johar, and Shinde under the banners Red Chillies Entertainment, Dharma Productions, and H ...
'' (2016), '' Badrinath Ki Dulhania'' (2017), '' Raazi'' (2018), ''
Simmba ''Simmba'' is a List of Bollywood films of 2018, 2018 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film directed by Rohit Shetty and produced by Rohit Shetty Picturez, Reliance Entertainment and Dharma Productions. The third installment of Shetty's Cop ...
'' (2018), ''
Dhadak ''Dhadak'' () is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language romance film written and directed by Shashank Khaitan and jointly produced by Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta under the Dharma Productions banner with Zee Studios as a sponsor pr ...
'' (2018), ''Kesari'' (2019), '' Good Newwz'' (2019), ''
Sooryavanshi ''Sooryavanshi'' is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language action drama film written and directed by Rohit Shetty in his writing debut and produced by Reliance Entertainment, Rohit Shetty Picturez, Dharma Productions and Cape of Good Films. Based ...
'' (2021) and '' Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva'' (2022).


Other work

In addition to working as an assistant director on (1995), Johar was an actor in the film, playing the minor role of a friend of
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...
’s character. Since then, he has made cameo appearances playing himself in films like ''
Om Shanti Om ''Om Shanti Om'' (transl. literally to ''Peace Be With You'') is a 2007 Hindi-language romantic fantasy film written and directed by Farah Khan, co-written by Mayur Puri and Mushtaq Shiekh, and produced by Gauri Khan under Red Chillies E ...
'' (2007), ''
Fashion Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, Fashion accessory, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into Clothing, outfits that depict distinct ...
'' (2008), and '' Luck by Chance'' (2009). He made his full-fledged acting debut alongside
Ranbir Kapoor Ranbir Kapoor (; born 28 September 1982) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi-language films. He is one of the highest-paid actors of Hindi cinema and has featured in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list since 2012. Kapoor is the re ...
and
Anushka Sharma Anushka Sharma (; born 1 May 1988) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She has won many awards including Filmfare Awards and IIFA Awards. Sharma has appeared in ''Forbes India''s Celebrity 100 in the 2010s and was featured by ''F ...
in
Anurag Kashyap Anurag Kashyap (born 10 September 1972) is an Indian filmmaker and actor known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of four Filmfare Awards. For his contributions to films, the Government of France made him a Knight of the Ordre ...
’s period drama ''Bombay'' ''Velvet'' (2015), in which he played the main antagonist. Although the film did not perform well at the box-office, Johar earned mixed-to-positive reviews for his performance. Critic Sarita A. Tanwar commented, "The only consolation in the film is Johar who brings a lot of dignity to the character of Khambatta... which is commendable since this is totally outside his comfort space." Johar has worked as a costume designer for
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...
on many films like (1995), ''
Dil To Pagal Hai ''Dil To Pagal Hai'' (; ) is a 1997 Indian Hindi-language musical romance film directed by Yash Chopra. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Karisma Kapoor, and Akshay Kumar. It follows the love lives of the members of a musical tro ...
'' (1997), ''
Duplicate Duplication, duplicate, and duplicator may refer to: Biology and genetics * Gene duplication, a process which can result in free mutation * Chromosomal duplication, which can cause Bloom and Rett syndrome * Polyploidy, a phenomenon also known ...
'' (1998), ''
Mohabbatein ''Mohabbatein'' () is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film written and directed by Aditya Chopra, and produced by Yash Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films. The ensemble cast is led by Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan ...
'' (2000), ''
Main Hoon Na ''Main Hoon Na'' () is a 2004 Hindi-language masala film directed by Farah Khan and produced by Gauri Khan and Ratan Jain under the banners Red Chillies Entertainment and Venus Movies. The film, which marks Farah Khan's directorial debut, s ...
'' (2004), ''
Veer-Zaara ''Veer-Zaara'' is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic film directed and produced by Yash Chopra, and written by his son Aditya Chopra. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta as the titular star-crossed lovers: Veer Pratap Singh is an ...
'' (2004), and ''
Om Shanti Om ''Om Shanti Om'' (transl. literally to ''Peace Be With You'') is a 2007 Hindi-language romantic fantasy film written and directed by Farah Khan, co-written by Mayur Puri and Mushtaq Shiekh, and produced by Gauri Khan under Red Chillies E ...
'' (2007). Johar is the host of ''
Koffee with Karan ''Koffee with Karan'' is an Indian talk show hosted by filmmaker and television personality Karan Johar and produced by Dharmatic Entertainment, the digital content division of Johar's production company Dharma Productions. It debuted on 19 No ...
'', a talk show where he interviews actors, directors, producers, and other prominent members of the Hindi film industry. The series has run intermittently since 2004, with eight seasons . Since 2012, he has served as a judge on the reality shows '' Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa'' (with
Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit Nene (Maiden and married names, née Dixit, ; born 15 May 1967) is an Indian actress and television personality. She has appeared in Madhuri Dixit filmography, over 70 Hindi films. Praised by critics for her performances and danc ...
and Remo D’Souza), ''
India's Got Talent India's Got Talent is a televised Indian Hindi, Hindi language talent show series and is part of the ''Got Talent franchise''. The program is produced and distributed by Fremantle (company), Fremantle and Syco Entertainment. The show aired on C ...
'' (with
Malaika Arora Khan Malaika Arora (born 23 October 1973) is an Indian actress, dancer, model, Video Jockey ( VJ ) and television personality who appears in Hindi-language films. She made her debut as a film producer in 2008 with her former husband Arbaaz Khan, f ...
,
Kirron Kher Kirron Anupam Kher (also Kiran ''Indian Express'', 12 May 2002. or, Kiron, born 14 June 1952) is an Indian politician, actress, television personality, singer, and entertainment producer. She is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and in Ma ...
, and
Farah Khan Farah Khan Kunder (; born 9 January 1965) is an Indian film director, writer, film producer, actress, dancer and choreographer who works predominantly in Hindi films. Khan has choreographed more than a hundred songs in over 80 films, winning th ...
) and ''
India's Next Superstars ''India's Next Superstars'' is an Indian talent search reality television show which aired on Star Plus and streamed on Hotstar. It was judged by Karan Johar and Rohit Shetty. Aman Gandotra and Natasha Bharadwaj were declared as winners, while S ...
'' (with
Rohit Shetty Rohit Shetty (born 14 March 1974) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter, stuntman, producer and television personality who works in Hindi cinema. A notable director of Hindi cinema, his movies often mix the genres of action comedy and masala f ...
). In January 2022, he appeared as a judge on the
Colors TV Colors TV is an Indian general entertainment pay television channel owned by JioStar, a joint venture between Viacom18 and Disney India. Its programming consists of Soap opera, family dramas, Comedy, comedies, fantasy shows, youth-oriented Rea ...
's show '' Hunarbaaz: Desh Ki Shaan'' along with
Mithun Chakraborty Mithun Chakraborty (born Gouranga Chakraborty; 16 June 1950) is an Indian actor, film producer, screenwriter, entrepreneur and politician who predominantly works in Hindi cinema, Hindi and Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali cinema. In a career spa ...
and
Parineeti Chopra Parineeti Chopra (; born 22 October 1987) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi cinema, Hindi films. Chopra is a recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Parineeti Chopra, several accolades, including a Filmfare Awar ...
. Johar is also an investor in an AI-led adtech influencer marketing platform Konfluence. The company had raised a pre-series funding of $4 million as of 8 February 2022.


Filmography


Film


Acting roles


Television


Bibliography

*


Awards and honours


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johar, Karan 1972 births Male actors in Hindi cinema Hindi-language film directors Indian costume designers Indian male film actors Film producers from Mumbai Indian television talk show hosts Living people Film directors from Mumbai People of Punjabi descent Indian Sindhi people Indian Hindus Punjabi Hindus Arya Samajis Filmfare Awards winners Screen Awards winners Zee Cine Awards winners International Indian Film Academy Awards winners 21st-century Indian male actors 21st-century Indian designers 21st-century Indian people Directors who won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment National Film Award Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Indian LGBTQ film directors Indian LGBTQ entertainers LGBTQ television directors LGBTQ fashion designers Indian LGBTQ screenwriters Indian LGBTQ actors LGBTQ film producers Theatre owners Film exhibitors