New Delhi: Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan share a great personal bond and the filmmaker considers the superstar as his brother. The filmmaker recently confessed that the actor was the first person for Karan to speak to whenever he needed to discuss something about his sexuality.
In a new podcast on We Are Yuvaa, the filmmaker said, “He was born and brought up in a very progressive environment. He comes from theatre. He had worked with all kinds of people. My parents, perhaps, weren't able to understand things. My feminine side that was coming out so strongly was only met with laughter or with being made fun of. And then when I grew a little older, people got a little quieter about it. But I could tell whether there was a slight chitter-chatter about the way I was walking or speaking. I remember Shah Rukh Khan was the first, kind of like, man that didn't make me feel lesser for some reason. I feel like he accepted what in those days were considered being pansy, being effeminate or walking funny. He was just so cool about anything. He even had a lot of open chats with me. Whenever I had to say the biggest thing about my personality and sexuality, I spoke to him first. He was that one sense of support. Even he doesn't realise what he's been to me.”
The director also elaborated on what Shah Rukh did that made him comfortable around him
“It's what he didn't say. It's what he didn't bring up. It's what he normalised, that I sat funny or walked funny. Whenever I said campy things, he laughed. He would hang out with me, laugh with me. It isn't what he said, it's what he didn't say. It's all that matters,” Karan said.
Shah Rukh Khan has worked on all the films directed by Karan Johar except for his latest film 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'. The filmmaker is also very close to Shah Rukh’s wife Gauri Khan.