Happy Birthday Karan Johar: 10 Lesser-Known Facts About The Director Who Brought Glam to Bollywood Like no One Else Before

Happy Birthday Karan Johar: These 10 lesser-known facts about one of India's most celebrated directors will surprise you.

Indian filmmaker Karan Johar has turned 48 today, May 25. Apart from establishing himself as one of the leading directors in the Hindi film industry, KJo has also changed the way film directors are usually perceived. He’s bold, fashionable, loves to showcase maximalism in his films, and is a part of Bollywood’s social culture like no director has ever done before. While there’s so much already written and discussed about Karan Johar in the media because of the kind of outspoken personality he carries, there’s still something that his fans would love to know. Here’s the list of 10 lesser-known facts from the life of one of the most celebrated Indian film directors in the world – Karan Johar! Also Read - Happy Birthday, Mohanlal: 11 Lesser-Known And Interesting Facts About The Top Malayalam Star

1. Karan Johar worked as a costume designer before debuting as a film director with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Interestingly, his job as the costume designer was to style Shah Rukh Khan in DDLJ. Later, even when he started directing films, KJo found his passion for dressing up celebs and became the costume designer for SRK in Dil Toh Pagal Hai and Veer-Zara, and for Amitabh Bachchan in Mohabbatein. Also Read - Deepika Padukone Has to Say THIS on Karan Johar And Yash Johar’s Cute Banter on Haircut

2. It was during the filming of Kal Ho Na Ho that Karan Johar’s father Yash Johar was being treated in New York for his illness. Shah Rukh Khan’s character in the film, of a dying man with an undying spirit of life, is loosely inspired by how his father was in real life. Kal Ho Na Ho is the one film that KJo says he regrets not directing himself. The film was directed by Nikhhil Advani. Also Read - Lockdown With Johars: Roohi And Yash Drag Karan Johar While Dancing to Aankh Maare- Watch

3. Karan Johar considers Kajol his lucky charm in Bollywood and that’s the reason he makes sure to reserve a special appearance of the actor in all his films whether in a song or in a tiny glimpse here and there.

4. Karan Johar’s father Yash Johar was a popular filmmaker and wanted to launch him as an actor. He was all set with a film but destiny had other plans.

5. Karan Johar actually got inspired by a film to end his belief in superstitions. Before he watched Lage Raho Munnabhai, the title of all his movies began with the letter ‘K’. After he watched the climax scene of the Rajkumar Hirani directorial in which Sanjay Dutt and Saurabh Shukla have a conversation about superstitions, KJo stopped believing in numerology.

6. Not many know but Karan Johar can speak French as fluently as his native language. He is one of the rare Bollywood celebs to have obtained a Master’s degree in French.

7. Karan Johar is the only Indian apart from former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who has been invited as the guest at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.

8. He got the idea of making Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna when he overheard a couple in a restaurant who were getting separated that day. The incident moved him so much that he decided to make a movie on the entire issue of marriages, separation, and finding the right partner. The film was, however, not accepted by the viewers in India and KJo received a lot of criticism for glorifying cheating in marriage. The director now says that if given a chance, he would like to remake Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna as he believes it was an ahead-of-its-time film when released.

9. Karan Johar’s ultimate dream, like many other artistes in the world, is to hold an Oscar in hand and dedicate it to his country. He once mentioned that he has rehearsed his speech so many times that he can’t ever forget what he would say on the stage if he gets there someday. “This is for you, India,” is what KJo dreams to speak from Oscar’s stage.

10. Karan Johar debuted as an actor in Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet. The film bombed at the Box Office and KJo’s appearance became a butt of jokes. Not many would know that the actor had charged only Rs 11 as his fee.

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