Karan Johar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karan Johar
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Johar in 2021
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Rahul Kumar Johar
25 May 1972 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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| Alma mater | H.R. College of Commerce |
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| Years active | 1989–present |
| Organization | Dharma Productions |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives | Chopra-Johar family |
| Awards | Full list |
| Honours | Padma Shri (2020) |
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Karan Kumar Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar on 25 May 1972), often called KJo, is a famous Indian filmmaker, producer, and TV personality. He mostly works in Hindi cinema, also known as Bollywood. He has helped many actors and filmmakers start their careers through his company, Dharma Productions.
Karan Johar has won many awards, including three National Film Awards and seven Filmfare Awards. In 2020, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri, which is a very important award.
He is the son of producer Yash Johar. Karan Johar started his directing journey with the romantic comedy-drama Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998). This film was a huge success and won him awards for Best Popular Film and Best Director. His next films, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), were also very popular in India and worldwide.
His social drama My Name Is Khan (2010) earned him another Filmfare Award for Best Director. As a producer, Johar has also created successful films like the spy thriller Raazi (2018) and the biopic Shershaah (2021). These films won him the Filmfare Award for Best Film. He also produced the fantasy film Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022), which won a special National Film Award. All these achievements have made him one of the top filmmakers in Hindi cinema.
Besides films, Karan Johar is also a well-known TV personality. He hosts a popular talk show called Koffee with Karan, which started in 2004. He has also hosted a dating show and a radio show. He has been a judge on reality competition shows like Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and India's Got Talent.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Karan Johar was born on 25 May 1972 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India. His father, Yash Johar, was a film producer who started Dharma Productions. His mother is Hiroo Johar. He grew up in a diverse home where they spoke English. His father, who followed the Arya Samaj tradition, would start each day with prayers from different religions like Hinduism, Sikhism, and Christianity.
Karan went to Green Lawns High School and later to H.R. College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai. In his autobiography, An Unsuitable Boy, he shared a funny story about failing a math test for a boarding school.
He began his career in entertainment as an actor in a TV show called Indradhanush in 1989. As a child, he loved Indian movies and was inspired by famous directors like Raj Kapoor and Yash Chopra. For some time, he used to follow numerology, which is a belief about numbers. He would name his films with titles starting with the letter 'K'. However, after watching a film that made fun of numerology, he stopped this practice.
In February 2017, Karan Johar became a father to twins, a boy and a girl, through surrogacy. He named his son Yash, after his father, and his daughter Roohi, by rearranging his mother's name, Hiroo.
There have been discussions in the film industry about whether children of famous stars get more chances. Karan Johar has said that his production company has given opportunities to many new directors, most of whom were not from film families. He believes that actors from film families are also talented and deserve to be on screen.
Film Career
Directing Films
First Steps and Big Hits (1995–2001)
Karan Johar started in the film industry as an assistant director and actor for his cousin, Aditya Chopra's film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). This film became one of the most successful movies ever.
He directed his first film, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), a romantic comedy-drama. The story is about a love triangle in college and later about a widower trying to reconnect with his best friend. The film was a huge hit and critics loved it. It won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and many Filmfare Awards, including Best Film and Best Director.
His next big success was the family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001). This film featured many famous actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Kajol, and Kareena Kapoor. It was another major blockbuster and received great reviews. This film earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director.
Continued Success (2006–2010)
Karan Johar's third film as a director was Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). This musical romantic drama explored the topic of unhappy marriages among Indians living in New York City. The film was a big success and became the highest-grossing Indian film overseas at that time. Critics praised Johar for trying a different kind of story. The script was even added to the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He received his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director for this film.
His next film was the social drama My Name Is Khan (2010). This was his first film that he did not write himself. It tells the story of a Muslim man with Asperger's syndrome and his Hindu wife, who face challenges after the September 11 attacks. The film was a huge hit both in India and abroad. Critics loved Johar's unique directing style, and he won his second Filmfare Award for Best Director for My Name Is Khan.
New Projects and Experiments (2012–2018)
For his film Student of the Year (2012), Karan Johar chose new actors like Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt, and Varun Dhawan instead of established stars. The film was about students competing for a special title. It did well at the box office and received mixed reviews.
He then worked with other directors like Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap on Bombay Talkies (2013). This was an anthology film made to celebrate 100 years of Hindi cinema. Each director made a short film. Johar's part was praised by critics.
His next film was the musical romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016). It starred Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The film was a major blockbuster and critics called it one of Johar's most mature films. He received his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director for this movie.
Karan Johar again teamed up with Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, and Dibakar Banerjee for ... Stories (2018), an anthology film released on Netflix. This film was praised for exploring topics not often seen in Indian movies. He also directed a segment in the horror anthology film Ghost Stories (2020), which also premiered on Netflix.
Recent Work (2018–Present)
In 2018, Karan Johar announced a historical drama called Takht, set in the Mughal Empire. It was planned to have a big star cast. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was put on hold. He has said he plans to work on it in the future.
In July 2021, it was announced that Johar would direct a romantic comedy family drama titled Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The film starred Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Ranveer Singh, and Alia Bhatt. It was released on 28 July 2023 and was a big success with both critics and audiences. It became one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2023 and earned him his sixth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director.
On his 52nd birthday in 2024, Karan Johar announced that his next film as a director is set to be released in the second half of 2025.
Producing Films
Most of Karan Johar's films as a director have been produced under Dharma Productions, the company his father, Yash Johar, started. Karan took over the company after his father passed away in 2004. Besides his own films, he has produced many successful movies by other directors under the Dharma banner.
Some of these popular films include Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Dostana (2008), Wake Up Sid (2009), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), 2 States (2014), Kapoor & Sons (2016), Dear Zindagi (2016), Raazi (2018), Simmba (2018), Good Newwz (2019), Sooryavanshi (2021), and Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022).
Other Work in Entertainment
Karan Johar has also acted in films. He had a small role as a friend in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), where he also worked as an assistant director. Since then, he has made guest appearances as himself in movies like Om Shanti Om (2007) and Fashion (2008).
He made his full acting debut in Anurag Kashyap’s period drama Bombay Velvet (2015), where he played the main villain. Even though the film didn't do well, critics praised his acting.
Karan Johar has also worked as a costume designer for Shah Rukh Khan in many films, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and Main Hoon Na (2004).
He is most famous for hosting Koffee with Karan, a talk show where he interviews actors and other important people from the Hindi film industry. The show has been running since 2004 and has had eight seasons as of 2024. Since 2012, he has also been a judge on popular reality shows like Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and India's Got Talent. In 2022, he was a judge on Hunarbaaz: Desh Ki Shaan.
Karan Johar is also an investor in a company called Konfluence, which helps connect influencers with brands using artificial intelligence.
Filmography Highlights
Karan Johar has been involved in many films as a director, producer, and sometimes as an actor. Here are some of his notable works:
As Director
- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
- Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001)
- Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)
- My Name Is Khan (2010)
- Student of the Year (2012)
- Bombay Talkies (2013) - segment "Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh"
- Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016)
- ... Stories (2018) - 4th segment
- Ghost Stories (2020) - 4th segment
- Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)
As Producer (Selected Films)
- Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)
- Dostana (2008)
- Wake Up Sid (2009)
- Agneepath (2012)
- Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)
- 2 States (2014)
- Kapoor & Sons (2016)
- Dear Zindagi (2016)
- Raazi (2018)
- Simmba (2018)
- Good Newwz (2019)
- Shershaah (2021)
- Sooryavanshi (2021)
- Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022)
- Kill (2023)
- Yodha (2024)
Acting Roles (Selected)
- Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) - Monty
- Bombay Velvet (2015) - Kaizad Khambatta (Main villain)
- Welcome To New York (2018) - Karan/Arjun (Double role)
Television Work
- Indradhanush (1989) - Srikanth (Actor)
- Koffee with Karan (2004–present) - Host
- Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (2012–2022) - Judge
- India's Got Talent (2012–2018) - Judge
- What the Love! with Karan Johar (2020) - Host
- Bigg Boss OTT 1 (2021) - Host
- Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives (2020–present) - Guest (also executive producer)
- Hunarbaaz: Desh Ki Shaan (2022) - Judge
- Bigg Boss 16 (2022) - Host
- Bigg Boss 17 (2023) - Host
- Showtime (2024) - Executive producer
Awards and Honours
Karan Johar has received many awards for his work in films and television. These include:
- Three National Film Awards
- Seven Filmfare Awards
- The Padma Shri from the Government of India in 2020
See also
In Spanish: Karan Johar para niños
