Karan Johar Calls Shah Rukh Khan And Aditya Chopra His 'Two Pillars': 'Part Of My Destiny To Have Met...'

Filmmaker Karan Johar expressed gratitude towards producer Aditya Chopra and superstar Shah Rukh Khan, crediting them as the "two pillars" of his 25-year-long career in cinema.

Karan Johar has worked with best friend Shah Rukh Khan in a number of films.

Source : IMDb

New Delhi: Filmmaker Karan Johar expressed gratitude towards producer Aditya Chopra and superstar Shah Rukh Khan, crediting them as the "two pillars" of his 25-year-long career in cinema. Karan began his journey in the film industry by assisting and making a brief appearance in Aditya Chopra's directorial debut, 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', a 1995 romantic drama starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

Three years later, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol featured in Johar's directorial debut, 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' that also starred Rani Mukerji as one of the leads and Salman Khan in a special cameo.

Karan Johar calls Aditya Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan his "two pillars"

Reflecting on his career trajectory, Karan acknowledged the pivotal roles played by Aditya Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan. The filmmaker said, "It was also part of my destiny to have met Aditya Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan. Two pillars, two reasons why I sit here today. They acknowledged something about me that I didn't see in myself. I will always be grateful to them for that. The rest was a lot of just passion... I may have been as sincere as I was. But what happens when you don't have people who are in powerful positions like that? "You can make it entirely on your own still because your belief system can be strong enough to combat all odds. But I was fortunate that my struggles came later. My first step was because two people who are not related to me by blood or family believed in me strongly. It has a lot to do with destiny, but nothing happens without hard work."

Karan Johar recalls fainting a day before directing Amitabh Bachchan

Speaking at the All India Management Association (AIMA)'s ninth National Leadership Conclave in New Delhi, where he was honoured with the 'director of the year' award for his film 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' released in 2023, Johar delved into his career journey, addressing both successes and failures. He highlighted the challenges of maintaining a professional demeanor while working with revered actors like Amitabh Bachchan.

Karan shared an interesting anecdote about directing Amitabh Bachchan for the first time in his second directorial venture 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'.

"I remember I fainted a day before directing him... I am grateful to Amit uncle for allowing me to be a director, give instructions," he recalled.

Karan Johar's take on successes and failures

Karan Johar emphasized the importance of dealing with failure and success equally, emphasizing personal fulfillment over monetary success. He shared his approach of acknowledging, analyzing, and swiftly moving on from both failure and success. Furthermore, he underscored the influence of cinema as a soft power, capable of shaping societal consciousness.

He said, "We are an impressionable soft power when we can connect to millions of people through our communication. We have, time and again, realised the ramifications of what's good and what's bad."

"We have tremendous power and therefore, with tremendous power comes tremendous responsibility... What we project, what we say, you have to account for it with some amount of salt and sensitivity because people take the said word seriously," he added.

He concluded by acknowledging the evolving role of cinema in society, noting its ability to raise awareness and provoke thought, while also cautioning against the negative impacts of irresponsible filmmaking. Karan Johar expressed hope that filmmakers would recognize the significance of their platform and use their voice responsibly.