“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.