Karan Johar
Karan Johar | |
|---|---|
 Johar at the 61st Filmfare Awards in 2016 | |
| Born | Rahul Kumar Johar[1] 25 May 1972 Bombay, Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director, producer, screenwriter, costume designer, television host |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Yash Johar Hiroo Johar |
| Relatives | Yash Chopra (maternal uncle) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Signature | |
 | |
Karan Kumar Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar, 25 May 1972),[1] often informally referred to as KJo,[2] is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, costume designer, actor and television personality who works in Hindi films.[3] He is the son of Hiroo Johar and the producer Yash Johar.
Johar made his directorial debut with the blockbuster romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), which earned him the Filmfare Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay. His next two films were the ensemble dramas Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), which were both very successful in the overseas market. His social drama My Name Is Khan (2010) earned him his second Filmfare Award for Best Director. These, along with the several successful films he has produced under the Dharma Productions banner, have established him as one of the leading director-producers in Hindi cinema.
Johar has also ventured successfully into other avenues of the entertainment industry. He hosts a television talk show, Koffee with Karan, and a radio show Calling Karan, and appeared as a judge on competition reality shows Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, India's Got Talent, India's Next Superstars.
Early and personal life
Karan Johar was born in Mumbai, India to Indian Bollywood film producer Yash Johar, founder of Dharma Productions and Hiroo Johar. He studied at the Greenlawns High School[4] and attended H.R. College of Commerce and Economics,[5] both in Mumbai. He received a master's degree in French.[6]
Johar started his career in entertainment industry as an actor, he played the role of Shrikant in the 1989 Doordarshan Serial Indradhanush. As a child, he was influenced by commercial Indian cinema: He cites Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra and Sooraj R. Barjatya as his inspirations.[7][8] For a time, Johar followed numerology, 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 film, Lage Raho Munna Bhai which was critical of numerology, Johar decided to stop this practice.[9]
In February 2017, Johar became father to twins (a boy and a girl) through surrogacy.[10] The twins were born at Masrani Hospital in Mumbai. Johar named his son Yash – after his father; and his daughter Roohi – rearranged from his mother's name Hiroo.[11][12]
Film career
Director
Karan Johar entered the film industry as an assistant director on Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), which is regarded as a landmark in Hindi cinema. He then made his own directorial debut with the blockbuster romance 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 another man (Salman Khan). The film became a major blockbuster at the box office and received mostly positive reviews from critics. Writing for Planet Bollywood, critic Anish Khanna commented that "Karan Johar makes an impressive directorial debut, has a good script sense, and knows how to make a film with S-T-Y-L-E."[13] 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's next directorial venture was the multi-starrer 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 became Johar's second major blockbuster at the box office and received mostly 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."[14]
Johar's third directorial venture was the multi-starrer romantic drama Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), which dealt with the controversial subject of marital infidelity against the backdrop of non-resident Indians 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) who is also unhappy with her marriage to her childhood friend (Abhishek Bachchan). The film was a major success in India and an even larger success overseas. It received mostly 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 Karan 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."[15] 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.
Johar's fourth directorial venture was the social drama My Name Is Khan (2010). The plot follows a Muslim man with Asperger's syndrome and his wife, played by Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, who live in San Francisco and face racial prejudice after the September 11 attacks. The film became a major commercial success, 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."[16] The film won Johar his second Filmfare Award for Best Director.
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, Varun Dhawan, and Alia Bhatt). 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,"[17] while others called it "a film which suffers from the lack-of-a-story syndrome."[18]
Johar then teamed up with Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, and Dibakar Banerjee for Bombay Talkies (2013), an anthology film released to celebrate the centenary year of Hindi cinema. Each of the 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 very well at the box office but earned positive reviews from critics.
Johar's next directorial venture was the romantic drama film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016). The film featured Ranbir Kapoor as a man dealing with his unrequited love for his best friend, played by Anushka Sharma. It also featured Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as an older woman who engages in a brief relationship with Kapoor's character. The film emerged as a commercial success and received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who called it "Johar's most grown-up movie yet."[19]
Johar teamed up again with Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, and Dibakar Banerjee for Lust Stories (2018), an anthology film released on Netflix 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) fails to recognize her lack of sexual satisfaction.
On 11 August 2018, Johar took to Twitter to announce his next film Takht, a period drama based in the Mughal era, which will feature an ensemble star cast including Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar, Janhvi Kapoor and Anil Kapoor.[20] With a screenplay by Sumit Roy and dialogues by Hussain Haidry, this will be the first film directed by Johar that he has not written himself.[21] In an interview with Firstpost, Johar stated that Takht would begin filming in September 2019.[22]
Producer
Johar’s directorial work (with the exception of anthology films Bombay Talkies and Lust Stories) has been produced under the Dharma Productions 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 successes including Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Dostana (2008), I Hate Luv Storys (2010), Agneepath (2012), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), 2 States (2014), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014), Kapoor & Sons (2016), Dear Zindagi (2016), Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017), Raazi (2018) and Dhadak (2018).
Actor
In addition to working as an assistant director on Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Johar was an actor in the film, playing the minor role of a friend of Shah Rukh Khan’s character. Since then, he has made cameo appearances playing himself in films like Om Shanti Om (2007), Fashion (2008), and Luck by Chance (2009).
He made his full-fledged acting debut alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in Anurag Kashyap’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 some appreciation for his performance. Critic Sarita A. Tanwar commented, "The only consolation in the film is Karan Johar who brings a lot of dignity to the character of Khambatta... which is commendable since this is totally outside his comfort space."[23]
Costume designer
Johar has worked as a costume designer for Shah Rukh Khan on many films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Duplicate (1998), Mohabbatein (2000), Main Hoon Na (2004), Veer-Zaara (2004), and Om Shanti Om (2007).
Television
Johar is the host of Koffee with Karan, a celebrity-based talk show where he interviews actors, directors, producers, and other prominent members of the Hindi film industry. The first season aired from 2004 to 2005, the second season aired in 2007, the third season aired from 2010 to 2011, the fourth season aired from 2013 to 2014, and the fifth season aired from 2016 to 2017.
Since 2012, he has served as a judge on the reality shows Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (with Madhuri Dixit and Remo D’Souza), India's Got Talent (with Malaika Arora Khan, Kirron Kher, and Farah Khan) and India's Next Superstars (with Rohit Shetty).[24]
Filmography
As an actor
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Indradhanush | Srikanth | Television series |
| 1995 | Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge | Rocky | Also assistant director |
| 2003 | Kal Ho Naa Ho | Customer in the café (uncredited) | |
| 2005 | Home Delivery: Aapko... Ghar Tak | Himself (cameo) | |
| 2006 | Alag | Cameo appearance in song "Sabse Alag" | |
| 2007 | Salaam-e-Ishq | Himself (voice) | |
| 2007 | Om Shanti Om | Himself (cameo) | |
| 2008 | C Kkompany | Himself/Game show host (cameo) | |
| Fashion | Himself (cameo) | ||
| 2009 | Luck by Chance | Himself (cameo) | |
| 2014 | Hasee Toh Phasee | Client | |
| 2015 | Bombay Velvet | Kaizad Khambatta | Feature film debut |
| 2015 | Shaandaar | Himself (cameo)[27] | |
| 2018 | Welcome To New York | Karan/Arjun |
Awards and honours
References
- ^ a b Basu, Nilanjana (16 December 2018). "Koffee With Karan 6: Ayushmann Khurrana, Vicky Kaushal Discover Karan Johar Was Originally Named As..." NDTV. NDTV Convergence Limited. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
- ^ "KJo meets Kareena on sets of Heroine". Retrieved 8 June 2012.
- ^ Karan Johar opens up about his sexuality, virginity and Shah Rukh Khan in his new book
- ^ Majumdar, Anushree (16 October 2016). "P.O.W. director Nikkhil Advani: I will take a position but I don't want to become a jingoist". The Indian Express. Indian Express Limited. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
- ^ "Karan Johar goes back to college". Hrcollege.edu. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- ^ "Drama King Karan Johar".{{|date=December 2016}}
- ^ Nandy, Pritish (9 December 1998). "'All the women I meet keep telling me how much they cried in the film! That's what made it a hit, I guess.'". Rediff.Com. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
- ^ V S Srinivasan (15 October 1998). "'I'm a little scared'". Rediff.Com. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
- ^ Khan, Rubina A (7 October 2006). "Karan to drop letter K". The Times of India.
- ^ Monica Varma (9 December 1998). "Karan Johar becomes father to TWINS through surrogacy!". Zoom (TV channel). Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- ^ "Alia Bhatt to Priyanka Chopra: Celebrities Congratulate Karan Johar on Becoming a Father". News18. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- ^ "Bollywood showers blessings on Karan Johar's twins". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- ^ Khanna, Anish (16 October 1998). "Film Review: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai". Planet Bollywood. Archived from the original on 13 August 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Adarsh, Taran (11 December 2001). "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- ^ Masand, Rajeev (29 April 2010). "Masand's Verdict: Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna". IBN Live. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- ^ Jha, Subhash K (13 February 2010). "Hug your neighbor, watch My Name Is Khan!". Times of India. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- ^ Nahta, Komal (19 October 2012). "STUDENT OF THE YEAR Review". Komal Nahta's Blog. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- ^ Bhattacharya, Ananya (1 December 2012). "'Student of the Year' review: Watch out for the newcomers' infectious charm!". Zee News. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- ^ Bhave, Nihit (28 October 2016). "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Movie Review". Times of India. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
- ^ "Takht is about 2 warring brothers, expect K3G of Mughal era: Karan Johar on Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor film". 10 August 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Takht: Karan Johar ropes in Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Janhvi Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor and others for his next directorial". The Indian Express. 9 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
- ^ "Karan Johar on deciding against directing Kalank, Student of the Year 2, and why it's too late to be in a relationship". Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- ^ Tanwar, Sarita A (16 May 2015). "'Bombay Velvet' review: Despite earnest performances, the film somehow gets derailed". DNA India. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^ "Karan Johar, Rohit Shetty to judge a new talent show". DNA. Chaya Unnikrishnan. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "Karan Johar and Akshay Kumar's Battle of Saragarhi film to be titled Kesari". Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- ^ "Brahmastra: Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt's new trilogy". Retrieved 11 October 2017.
- ^ Thakker, Namrata (13 November 2014). "Karan Johar's acting again!". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
External links
- Karan Johar on Facebook
- Karan Johar at IMDb
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1972 births
- Male actors in Hindi cinema
- Hindi-language film directors
- Indian costume designers
- Indian male film actors
- Film producers from Mumbai
- Indian television presenters
- Indian television talk show hosts
- Living people
- LGBT people from India
- Film directors from Mumbai
- Punjabi people
- Sindhi people
- Filmfare Awards winners
- 21st-century Indian male actors
- 21st-century Indian designers
- 21st-century Indian film directors
- Directors who won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment National Film Award