Karan Johar turns 42 today. Both he and his cinema are brands today that others aspire to become and emulate. He is not just a multitalented and generous person, but today feels a proud parent who flaunts the young talent he has launched, be it actors or directors.His company Dharma Productions has given a number of filmmakers, who have produced successful love stories, be it Ayan Mukerji's Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Vinil Mathew's quirky Hasee Toh Phasee, to the more recent entrant to the 100-crore club, Abhishek Varman's 2 States. Post My Name Is Khan, he totally got sucked into being a producer and a TV anchor and judge, amongst other things, but is now back to writing his next film, which he will direct and start shooting early next year. Over a coffee in his office, the extremely-talented KJo talks to Bombay Times about his belief in new talent, his weakness for Adi Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan and why New York remains his favourite city to date. Excerpts:
Are there things you feel you can't do now at 42? I don't feel 42, though I may be looking it. In my head and heart I am still in my twenties. The reason for that is that I lost my 20s and 30s to work. 20s, as I was building my career and 30s, as I lost my dad and had to build my company. I feel now is the time when I am getting some kind of me time and my head is opened up. I hang out with the younger generation and in my head, I don't feel any older than them. When I go out shopping, I have to consciously remind myself that no Karan, you can't buy this. You can't buy red shoes. I am half-Sindhi, so bling is a part of my DNA inherently. If I buy bling, I feel I might be like those jaded uncles, whom I would myself laugh at when I was in college. I don't want to be that person. I won't buy bright coloured shoes, I don't want bling in my wardrobe. The third toss up is should I keep the grey or not. Some times I feel forget it, I should just keep it and age gracefully. And then I think of the term age gracefully and I get scared and no, I must Loreal as I am worth it and go back in my Jawaani Deewani mode. I know I am between young and middle-aged, so I have to just enjoy the zone I am in.
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What age group do you feel most connected to? I have to say I vibe best with the younger kids. I think my spirit is young. Not that I listen to the music they listen to or do the stuff they do. When I sit with Alia, Varun, Sid or Ayan, they talk about contemporary music, whereas I am still listening to Lag Ja Gale. I love going back to the 60s and 70s music. That's really my therapy, but my actuality is more contemporary. I don't know what is going on in the underground scene. For the longest time, I thought EDM is some kind of medical disorder as it sounded like ENT, till I was told that it is Electronic Dance Music. Once on my phone, everyone kept saying 'Well done Man U.' And I kept thinking 'Yeh kaun hain Manu?' It was then that someone told me it stood for Manchester United.
My sense of humour makes me connect with any age. I am not a morose and serious filmmaker and don't take myself so seriously, so I connect with everyone. I feel making Student Of The Year was the best career decision for me, apart from the decision to become a director. SOTY is a film that was never intended to be in the archives of cinema. It was intended to entertain. I launched new talent, which I am leveraging and will continue to leverage. A lot of people questioned my decision of working and launching newcomers, but when I look back today I feel it was a superb decision. I am so proud of the directors I have launched. I feel like a proud parent and these days, I am beaming, walking around thinking I have made 2 States. I can put my money where my mouth is behind these talented new actors and directors and that just shows that eventually instinct rules. I am blessed with two things. One is to have the instinct and the other is to not be delusional. I have great faith in new energies and talent. In today's day and age, ambition is a strong emotion and I think all young kids have that in abundance. This abundance makes them take the right step. What I do in this office is to nurture that ambition. And never let it turn into arrogance. If you are able to streamline and nurture ambition, it equals to success always.
Are you less emotional today? I don't think I can be less emotional, no matter how much I project. I am not less emotional but I am just stronger to deal with my emotions today and can cover it up better. I was weaker a couple of years ago, but can deal with pain and hurt better now.
Are there some special relationships in your life? Some relationships in my life will always be special. There is so much written about Shah Rukh and me and I hate it when I have to justify my relationship with him. Adi and Shah Rukh will always be weaknesses in my life because somewhere, I attribute my career to them and that is something I can never forget. I hate it when a mike is thrust into my face and I am questioned about anything to do with Shah Rukh. For me, he is beyond family, no matter where he is. Recently, I had an emotional upheaval in my life a couple of months ago and it was just instinctive that I picked up the phone and called him. Normally, when you text him, he calls you back. But once he told me, 'Karan, if you ever really need to reach me, I will pick up your phone.' And it's so strange that it has happened thrice in my life when I really needed to reach him and he picked it up. It happened once when I lost my dad, once for a personal issue and recently, when I was extremely hurt due to a friend. I felt that I needed to connect with him on that. I picked up the phone, we chatted and he sorted my head out.
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So, I am beginning to believe that he is right. He is there for me when I need him. He will hold your secret very closely to his heart. Once, I needed some medical help and he got it done so privately and sorted me out. You can count on him. While I am with Gauri on backslapping terms, Shah Rukh for me was always my father's friend. He was never my friend. He was my elder brother, who replaced my father in my family. He knows me as we have an emotion that goes back 25 years. Even if I don't see him for 6 months, he will see my face and even in a crowded place ask, 'Are you okay?' and he will know if something is wrong. And invariably, I am not okay when he asks that. He gets it and that way he is spiritual. He has that sixth sense and picks up that vibe. With Shah Rukh and me, there will never be a phase that we will be apart. In my mind and heart, I know that the day we are back we have the same dynamic. Some relationships may create gaps in your life, but they never fade. He is all heart. His biggest failing is his over sensitivity as sometimes, he does not want to hurt you. He will not say what he needs to as he is protecting your emotions. But this is the day and age of being upfront. I always tease him that in your inability to hurt somebody you may land up hurting that person. He is a very compassionate, emotional and extremely sensitive man. He puts a lot of emphasis on goodness and is a believer of karma.
You are amongst the few people who are close to both Rani and Adi Chopra. What do you feel binds them? I have to say that I am not authorised to comment on them, but as a friend of the family they are a completely wonderful couple that were meant to be with each other. They complete each other in many ways. And I am so happy to see Adi so happy. I don't remember seeing him so happy in many many years. He is thrilled and I am eternally grateful to Rani for bringing this into his life. He has been my mentor and is the reason I am in the movies and I have always saluted his vision. He has always been absorbed in work, but today when I see that smile on his face and that laughter and the ease in which he is working, I have to say that relationships can really bring out the best in a person. When I look at them, I too wish that I had a loved one to love me like that. They are happy and that is such a difficult mount to reach on, in this day and age.
What do you look forward to? I look forward to travel. When I walk the streets of a foreign country and you are just with yourself and just your tanhai, I love that emotion. Which is also why my favourite city is New York. It's strange with all its energy, it's got so much loneliness. I identify with that sense of loneliness. It has a buzz that makes your head tick, but I love the fact that everyone is on the run and yet no one knows where to go. When you are single in your life, you feel that there is a community in the world who accepts you for who you are, as there is so much loneliness in that city. I feel part of that lonely club and that is the only city in the world that accepts you the way you are. And makes you feel that being lonely is not after all such a bad word.
WATCH: Karan Johar in conversation with Shah Rukh Khan
