Karan Johar – The brand ambassador of exposure?

Karan Johar has managed to make headlines time and again and has constantly been in the public’s eye. This filmmaker, known for the exceptionally heart-grabbing films that he has dished out in the past, has been the center of attention and has a huge fan following too. Busy preparing for his upcoming hip and fun film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Karan Johar is also working on the release of his segment in the film Bombay Talkies.

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani will star Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone and the Dharma Productions chief was recently asked if this film will lead to an over-exposure of Deepika, given the fact that the actress has constantly been making appearances on screens. To this, Karan replied, “I have exposed myself time and again in the last two decades. I am the brand ambassador of exposure, so I will be the wrong person to answer this. But seriously speaking, I feel Deepika will be a part of immensely credible endeavors. Each one of them is different from the other. I think variety should be appreciated and not consistency.” The actress will play a bubbly role in the upcoming film and is bound to grab hearts yet again, this time with magic sprinkled by Karan Johar and the film’s director Ayan Mukerji.

“Deepika has proved her acting prowess in Cocktail and she has many films with different characters, so more power to her,” added Karan Johar. The film will release on the 31st of May, 2013.

Student of the Year was a challenging film for Karan Johar

Karan Johar’s Student of the Year hit cinema screens a few months ago and managed to create quite a buzz. A glamorous, extravagant and extremely campus romance, the film starred three newcomers making their first appearances on the big screen, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. The film was Karan Johar’s first with debutant actors and without his close friend and lucky mascot, Shah Rukh Khan.

For Karan Johar, the film was more than just one of his several directorial ventures. Quoting Karan before the release of Student of the Year, “The film is a big responsibility on Dharma Production's shoulders and mine. We are launching the career of three new faces through this film - Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra. All of them are very promising and talented. So, we as a production house have to make sure that we stand up to the expectation of all”.

While Siddharth Malhotra is a model-turned-actor with no background in the film industry, Varun Dhawan is the son of director David Dhawan. Alia Bhatt on the other hand is the daughter of director Mahesh Bhatt and the half-sister of Pooja Bhatt. Siddharth and Varun have worked with Karan Johar before, assisting the director during the making of the film My Name Is Khan. Noticing their knack for the big-screen, Karan quickly roped the duo in for his upcoming film.

“Siddharth Malhotra as well as Varun Dhawan had assisted me in “My Name Is Khan” and were involved in the process of production right throughout. Moreover they also observed me quite closely as a director. What I like about them is that they are totally different from each other, be in terms of personality or energy. I realized that they had the faces that were for cinema and it was about time that they were seen on the big screen,” says Karan Johar.

Alia Bhatt celebrates her 20th birthday with her mother

Actress Alia Bhatt, the gorgeous girl who debuted in Karan Johar’s fifth directorial venture, Student of the Year, recently turned 20. However, the youngster, known for her diligence and her love for work, decided not to take a day off to celebrate her birthday. Instead, Alia continued the shoot for her upcoming film by Imtiaz Ali in Rajasthan. But Alia’s birthday certainly wasn’t uneventful and her mother Soni Razden made sure the pretty actress’ day was special. 

Her mother flew from Mumbai to Jaipur just to spend the day with her, surprising young Alia at the sets of the upcoming film. “Soni straight went to the sets to surprise Alia. The young actress didn’t want to take a break on her special day. She was keen to complete the schedule on time. The unit had planned a small celebration for her on the sets. She wasn’t expecting her mother at all,” says a source, adding, “Though she was very tired from the shoot schedule, all her exhaustion vanished the moment she set eyes on her mom. It was followed by the cake cutting ceremony and a small celebration.”

The actress will be seen gracing the big-screen in Imtiaz Ali’s Highway, starring alongside Randeep Hooda. The filmmaker hasn’t divulged much about the film and neither have the actors. Apart from this project, Alia will also star in the upcoming Dharma Productions film, 2 States, an adaptation of author Chetan Bhagat’s bestselling novel.

Sachiin Joshi parts with film title for Karan Johar

B-town certainly isn’t all about just rumors, link-ups, broken relationships and cut-throat competition. Filmmaker Karan Johar seems to understand this best and was recently surprised by his peer, Sachiin Joshi. The latter was looking forward to sculpting a film titled 'Gutkha Wars'. However, Karan Johar too seemed to have a film with a similar name in his mind and realized Sachiin had already picked and registered the name for his upcoming project.

So, Karan approached Sachiin for the title and a single conversation won him the title! The filmmaker went out of his way to give the Dharma Productions chief his film’s title. A source said, "Sachiin had plans to make a film by the same name, but when Karan requested, he immediately agreed to give it away." Overwhelmed by the move, Karan Johar confirmed this news, saying, "Gestures like these are very rare in our industry. It was very kind of Sachiin to part with the title. I just called him once and he made it happen. I was extremely touched."

Sachiin too went on to say, "Who says Bollywood is only about star wars, rivalry and gossip? There is camaraderie, too, making this place interesting and sometimes also unpredictable." The upcoming film titled Gutkha will apparently be directed by Punit Malhotra. This film is rumored to be a joint production by Karan Johar and Akshay Kumar and will also star the actor in the lead.

Karan Johar speaks about launching new talent in B-town

Karan Johar, one of Bollywood’s most multifaceted filmmakers, has taken a step away from the conventional and launched several new faces and talent in the films he has rolled out on previous instances. Karan has, in the past, directed five films, all of which were crowned blockbusters and have done extremely well at the box office. These films include Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), My Name Is Khan (2010) and Student of the Year (2012). He has launched several directors too with the films he produces under his production-house banner, Dharma Productions, including Nikhil Advani, Tarun Mansukhani, Ayan Mukerji and Punit Malhotra amongst others.

In his latest directorial venture, Karan introduced four debuting actors, Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Kayoze Irani. From them all, Siddharth is the only newcomer with no filmy background whatsoever. Varun is the son of filmmaker David Dhawan while Alia is the daughter of Mahesh Bhatt. Kayoze on the other hand is the son of actor Boman Irani. Speaking about introducing newcomers in B-town, Karan recently said, "I see what people go through to get into the industry and I know I could have never done that. That is why I am launching as many new directors at Dharma Productions. I want to give back to the industry."

The Dharma Productions chief understands just how difficult it is to venture into B-town, particularly when one has no film-related background. Karan took the model-turned-actor Siddharth Malhotra under his wing and mentored him to perfection for his role in Student of the Year.

“I put in all the sport dreams in this film,” says Karan Johar, speaking about SOTY

When filmmaker Karan Johar sets out to create films, he’s bound to create one that grabs hearts, and that’s just what his latest release has achieved. The film titled Student of the Year, hit cinema screens on the 19th of October, 2012. A campus romance revolving around themes like love, betrayal, rivalry and friendship, Student of the Year stars Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. The three portray the roles of students at an extravagantly well-heeled school in Dehradun.

“I had this idea of a fictitious school and this competition in my head for a while, and there’s no such institution that exists in this world, and it’s a figment of my imagination. And I’m not athletic or sporty as you can see, so I put in all the sport dreams in this film and all the fun and games that I love about Hindi films is really in this. I even ended up doing a few remixes of some of my favorite yesteryear songs,” says the director-producer of the film, Karan Johar.

Siddharth Malhotra plays Abhimanyu Singh in this film. An ambitious middle-class boy, Abhi is introduced to a new way of life when he enrolls at St. Teresa’s High School. Here, he crosses paths with wealthy students, one of who he befriends, Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan). Despite their initial bickering and their different backgrounds, Abhi and Rohan become the best of friends.

Things take a turn for the bad however when Abhi falls in love with Shanaya Sighania (Alia Bhatt), the prettiest student at school. Given the fact that Rohan is her boyfriend, he locks horns with his best friend Abhi. A rivalry sparks off between Abhi and Rohan when the school’s gay dean, Yogendra Vasisht (Rishi Kapoor), announces the Student of the Year competition.

So who wins the trophy and Shanaya’s heart? Watch this fabulous movie to find out!

“I want to give back to the industry," says Karan Johar

Karan Johar has given the Indian and international audiences several blockbuster films that have captured the imagination of many and charmed his fans over and over again. These films that include Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), My Name Is Khan (2010) and Student of the Year (2012), have all set a certain benchmark in B-town, giving the filmmaker the limelight he deserves. The son of the late producer Yash Johar, Karan today heads Dharma Productions and has also produced several film sunder his banner. And now, Karan is looking to bring about transcendence in the Bollywood industry.

Karan Johar has stepped away from the usual film-making rituals of casting Bollywood bigwigs for roles in his films. Instead, he has been casting newcomers in lead roles, giving the audiences a taste of fresh new cinema. With his latest directorial venture, Student of the Year, Karan launched Varun Dhawan, Siddharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Kayoze Irani, four newcomers who won the hearts of the audiences and have begun their journey to a long and fulfilling career in Bollywood. However, being an outsider with no filmy-background can make things more difficult for a debutant and Karan Johar recently went on to articulate about this, saying, "I see what people go through to get into the industry and I know I could have never done that. That is why I am launching as many new directors at Dharma Productions. I want to give back to the industry."

One of Karan Johar’s own mentees, Siddharth Malhotra, comes from a non-filmy background. The actor worked as a model before and was noticed by Karan Johar while working as an Assistant Director for the film My Name is Khan.

“My company is a spouse I will never cheat on,” says filmmaker Karan Johar

Karan Johar is indeed one of B-town’s most successful producers. Multifaceted and extremely talented, Karan has been crowned as one of the most sought-after filmmakers of contemporary Hindi cinema. After giving the Indian audiences several films revolving around love, Karan has however decided to keep away from the realm of dating and relationships. The veteran director has chosen to keep his life at home away from his profession of making movies.

While speaking about his thoughts on marriage in the past, Karan Johar articulated, “I believe there are some really beautiful and immaculately solid marriages still! In fact I know how much my father meant to my mother. What a beautiful marriage they had and I am blessed to have grown up in such a marriage. I feel what a spouse can do for you, no child or parent can. Just that if you get the right connect with your spouse, you get it going right.”

Previously, Karan has been rumored to plan a marriage, though, none of which were remotely true. Quoting Karan Johar, “Right now I am not ready for any kind of relationship as I am too used to my independence. Marriage is a definite no-no. I am totally married to my company. Emotionally, my mother fills up the void in my life. So there it is. My company is a spouse I will never cheat on, and my mother completes me as a son. I think I have a full family unit of my own. I am happy probably because I am single. Let’s face it, how many married people are really happy? Just kidding (laughs)!”

Karan Johar personally mentors newcomer Saqib Saleem

Karan Johar has been known to mentor newbies, polish them to perfection and launch them to a long and fulfilling career. In the past, the Dharma Productions chief has launched several directors including Nikhil Advani, Tarun Mansukhani, Ayan Mukerji and Punit Malhotra amongst others. And that’s not all. With his fifth directorial venture, Karan Johar paved the way for newcomers Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Kayoze Irani. The four debutants had a spectacular debut in this campus romance and Siddharth, Alia and Varun have already signed their next films which will soon hit cinema screens in India and around the globe.

Well, that’s not where Karan Johar’s mentoring skills stop. The director-producer has recently taken up the task of polishing actor Saqib Saleem to perfection. The newcomer will make his debut in a soon-to-release film by Y Films titled Mere Dad Ki Maruti. Karan Johar has also roped in Saqib for a role in his upcoming directorial venture, a short-film that will be part of Bombay Talkies. Saqib will star in the film’s lead alongside seasoned actors Randeep Hooda and Rani Mukherji.

The young actor is pretty excited about this and a source close to him recently revealed, “Saqib has been planning to keep the special screen soon for Karan. He is very excited to show Karan is acting skills. He has been in talks with YRF to allot him a screen and time for the screening only for Karan.” While the film Mere Dad Ki Maruti will release on the 15th of March, 2013, Karan Johar’s Bombay Talkies short film will release on the 3rd of May. Parts of the film will also be directed by the filmmakers Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap and Dibaker Banerjee.

Varun Dhawan rushes to fan’s help at a college event

Varun Dhawan seems to be having a pretty amazing time in B-town. After having shot to fame with his debut in Karan Johar’s Student of the Year, starring in the lead alongside Siddharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt, Varun pretty much carved a place for himself in the hearts and minds of many. The actor has attained a huge fan-base, made up of teenagers, particularly girls who simply can’t stop gushing over him. The actor has been making several appearances, including college events.

At a recent event at SRCC college, Varun took the stage and had the crowds cheering and roaring. In the midst of it all however, a boy fell off stage and hurt himself. As the crowd turned unruly and security began to intervene, Varun was reported to being moved away to safety. However, on seeing the boy falling off, he youngster rushed to his aide and helped him back on stage, much to the applause and appreciation of the crowd!

There is no doubt that Varun Dhawan has indeed impressed his fans with his actions. Despite that, there have been a few rumors of the actor dating his Student of the year co-star, Alia Bhatt. The actress denied these allegations, saying, “I don’t really care about people discussing my personal life. I’m fond of Varun and Sid (Siddharth Malhotra) but no I’m not going out with either. And no, I have no boyfriend in Bandra. A boyfriend doesn’t really fit into my scheme of things right now. My boyfriend is Student of the Year.”

Karan Johar – Indeed one of Bollywood’s finest!

There is no denying the fact that filmmaker Karan Johar is indeed one of the most prominent Bollywood figures today. Born on 25 May 1972 in Mumbai to Yash Johar and Hiroo Johar, Karan is a film director, producer, screenwriter, costume designer and a television host who has had and continues to have a successful stint at Bollywood.

The filmmaker made his debut in B-town as an actor in the 1995 film, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. After this, he ventured forth with his first directorial project, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai starring Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji. This National Award winning film was followed by Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham in 2001 and the 2010 film, My Name is Khan. Apart from this, Karan has also produced a bunch of films that include Wake Up Sid!, Kurbaan, We Are Family, I Hate Luv Stories and Agneepath. The Dharma Productions honcho has also hosted the show Koffee with Karan, pushing it through a bunch of successful seasons.

Up ahead, Karan will unveil a bunch of films that will continue his successful run in Bollywood. His latest release titled Student of the year, was termed a blockbuster and gave the box office a hay day. Karan Johar has managed to grab the hearts of many with his films. He is known for his soul-touching stories and star-studded films and is recognized as one of the few directors who have managed to roll out some of Bollywood’s highest grossing films.

Watch out for this multifaceted filmmaker who has given movie buffs some of the most memorable films of the last two decades

Stay tuned as Karan Johar confirms Student of the Year sequel

You know a film has done well with the audiences when fans begin asking for a sequel! Karan Johar’s October 2012 release, Student of the Year, has created a place for itself in the hearts of many and campus romance fans have been asking for more ever since! The film features debutants Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt in the lead and is a tale of friendship, romance and rivalry.

The film’s creator, Karan Johar, has been overwhelmed with the response his fifth directorial venture has received and seems to be soaring high with its success. Enthusiastic about the accolades he has been showered with, the Dharma Productions chief has also made a mental note to role all out sequence of the film in the future. Karan has stated that he wishes the installment to launch more stars, just his first that launched the careers of Siddharth Malhotra, Varun and Alia. . “For all those asking....definitely planning #SOTY2....Dharma plans to make it a franchise and launch new talent with it each time(sic),” tweeted Karan Joahr.

In the original film, the trio plays three students at a highly-reputed school in Dehradun called the St. Teresa’s High School. Abhimanyu Singh aka Abhi (Siddharth Malhotra), a middle-class boy, enrolls at the school on a sports scholarship. Here, he come meets Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan), a rich son of a business-tycoon who he winds up befriending. He also falls in love with Shanaya Singhania (Alia Bhatt), knowing the fact that Rohan is her boyfriend. This causes a love-triangle to ensue as Shanaya too begins nurturing feelings for Siddharth Malhotra, in turn angering her boyfriend Rohan.

“My loyalty lies with Dharma,” says Karan Johar’s student, Varun Dhawan

Varun Dhawan has had a successful launch with Karan Johar’s Student of the Year. The young actor starred in the lead alongside newcomers Siddharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt. The actors have signed their next films already, after the success of their debut blockbuster. However, there has been some speculation about the contract signed by the trio with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions.

Speaking about the same recently, Varun articulated, “Karan is very keen that I should not just stick doing a film with his or his banner. He doesn’t want me to have a mindset that I work with only one or two people. Of course my loyalty lies with Dharma but then people in the industry should know that I am available for them as well.” The actor will next be seen in a film directed by his father David Dhawan and produced by Ekta Kapoor. The film is titled Mein Tera Hero and a female lead has not been announced yet.

Varun also went on to add, “It is very easy to be spoiled after working in a film like ‘Student of the Year’ with Dharma Productions. But then if I don’t expand my wings then all hard work of mine as well as that of Karan would go waste. Even dad wants me to make my own decisions.” Speaking about the roles he wishes to take up in the future, the actor said, “I am okay with doing a positive, grey or an out and out black role. I am very self critical about each and every small thing though. I have set certain targets for myself which I don’t wish to reveal as such. I know though that it would take me a lot of years to reach there.”