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 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.

Is Karan Johar dating?

Karan Johar

Karan Johar has always been making headlines with the stupendous films he has been directing and producing under his Dharma Productions banner. The director of five films including 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) and the producer of many more, Karan Johar has been lauded with praises for his multifaceted knack for the world of movies. And that’s not all. Given the fact that Karan is one of the industry’s most successful individuals, he has been asked about his personal life and relationships several times before. 

Speaking about his love life, Karan Johar articulated, “I have invariably been in love when I haven't had the same reciprocated emotion at all. I don't choose to talk about my personal life because I believe that I don't want to and I believe my personal life is personal.” The director has kept his life off-screen away from the prying eyes of the world at large. He went on to add, “I don't claim to have led a saintly life. There have been a lot of one-sided love stories in my life. I have seen more heart breaks than heart make...”

For Karan Johar, friendships and relationships in B-town aren’t like they used to be either. Quoting Karan Johar, “It's a dinosaur ... it's definitely a dying breed because I don't think people have the bandwidth emotionally to sustain friendships in our industry. You cannot have an equal connection with anyone. Somewhere if you play the subservient part you maintain a friendship - there is no such thing as an equal friendship.”

He might be the one who knows how to portray romance in the dreamiest sequences on-screen, but Karan Johar seems to know better. The veteran director understands fairytale romances to be limited to the world of movies and prefers staying married to his work and away from the realm of dating!