Karan Johar

Karan Kumar 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. He has launched the careers of several successful actors and filmmakers under his company Dharma Productions. The recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards and eight Filmfare Awards, he has been honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2020.

The son of producer Yash Johar, he made his directorial debut with the romantic comedy-drama Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), which earned him the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment (as director), the Filmfare Award for Best Director and the Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay. His next films, the family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) and the musical romantic drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), were both major commercial successes in both domestic and overseas markets. His social drama My Name Is Khan (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, 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. Johar returned to directing with the romantic comedy-drama Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), which earned him another National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. He then went on to produce the drama Homebound (2025), which was chosen as the Indian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, and was subsequently shortlisted in the category. These, along with other films he has directed or produced 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 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.

Early and personal life

Karan Johar was born on 25 May 1972 in Bombay, India, to a Punjabi father, film producer Yash Johar, founder of Dharma Productions, and a Sindhi mother, Hiroo Johar. He grew up in a "cosmopolitan house" where the family communicated in English, and his father, an Arya Samaji, would recite Hindu, Sikh, and Christian prayers. He studied at Green Lawns High School and later H.R. College of Commerce and Economics, both in Mumbai. Johar attempted admission to The Doon School but was declined due to scoring zero in mathematics.

He began his career as a child actor, playing Shrikant in the 1989 Doordarshan serial Indradhanush, and was influenced by Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra, and Sooraj Barjatya. He briefly followed numerology for film titles but stopped after watching Lage Raho Munna Bhai.

Johar has publicly discussed his sexual orientation, stating, "Everybody knows what my sexual orientation is," and in February 2017, he became a father to twins, son Yash and daughter Roohi, via surrogacy. He named his son after his father, Yash Johar, and his daughter after his mother, Hiroo Johar.

In 2020, following the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, Johar faced criticism and allegations of promoting nepotism in Bollywood, particularly regarding casting of star children. Johar defended his casting choices, highlighting the number of debut directors and outsider talents introduced by his production house.

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's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (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 (1998). The first half of the film centers on a college love triangle between an insensitive boy (Shah Rukh Khan), his tomboyish best friend (Kajol), and the prettiest girl at the college (Rani Mukerji), 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). The film emerged as 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. It swept most of the major awards at the 44th Filmfare Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and all four acting awards.

Johar achieved his breakthrough with the ensemble family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001). The film starred Amitabh Bachchan as an egotistical rich industrialist, Jaya Bachchan as his compassionate wife, and Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan as their two sons. It also featured Kajol and Kareena Kapoor as sisters from a lower-class family who become the love interests of Khan and Roshan respectively. The film emerged as 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 [of the film] 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 (2006), which dealt with the controversial subject of marital infidelity, emotional dissatisfaction, and dysfunctional relationships set against the backdrop of non-resident Indians (NRIs) living in New York City. The film's plot follows a washed-up athlete (Shah Rukh Khan), whose frustration with his wife (Preity Zinta) results in an extramarital affair with a family friend (Rani Mukerji), a schoolteacher who is also unhappy with her marriage to her childhood friend (Abhishek Bachchan). 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." 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. 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 (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 and Kajol, who live in San Francisco and face racial prejudice after 11 September attacks. The film emerged as 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 and Varun Dhawan). 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 emerged as 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."