Karan Johar says his dad fell asleep when he was narrating Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, mother asked if he knew where to place the camera: ‘Abhi bhi der nahi hui’

Karan Johar shared that his parents were quite skeptical about his career choice and his father, who was a film producer himself, fell asleep during the narration of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

Karan Johar said his father fell asleep during the narration of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. (Photo: Varinder Chawla)

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When Karan Johar entered the world of movies and started assisting Aditya Chopra in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, he knew his next step would be to direct a movie but his parents weren’t very certain about his career. In fact, his mother questioned if he even knew where to place the camera while directing a scene and his father fell asleep when he was narrating his first script, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, to him. At a recent interaction during the Toronto International Film Festival, Karan shared how his parents were not so inclined when he told them about directing a movie.

Karan recalled that on the first day of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’s shoot, his mother Hiroo Johar woke him up at 5 am and asked him if he wanted to back out of his debut and ask Aditya Chopra to direct Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. “I woke up and said ‘what happened?’ I thought something had happened because she was sitting at my bedside. And she said ‘do you know where to place the camera?'” When Karan looked at her and said yes, she said, “‘Abhi bhi der nahi hui hai. (If) you can’t do it, ring up Adi and tell him, tu direct kar le yeh picture, mujhe nahi karni. I’ll support you’ (It’s not too late. If you don’t want to direct this movie, call Adi and ask him to direct in you place. I’ll support you).”

Karan shared that his mother was extremely skeptical about his decision and kept asking him if he was sure about making movies. The director said that she does not watch movies and then shared that even his father, film producer Yash Johar, fell asleep as he was narrating the script of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

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“When I was narrating Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to him, he fell asleep. Then I said, ‘Papa, aap so rahe ho. (Papa, you are sleeping.)’ He said, ‘Gaana aa gaya tha. (There was a song.)’ I said ‘Main gaa nahi raha tha (I wasn’t singing)’,” he recalled with a laugh.

Karan said that when he actually walked on the set and was asked about camera placement, his mother’s voice was in his head and it took him a few moments to find his beat. He shared, “When they asked ‘Where would you like the frame?’ For a second, I questioned (myself). My mother’s voice came in my head and I was like shayad maa theek kehti hai ki mujhe nahi pata camera kahan rakhna hai. (Maybe my mother is right that I don’t know where to place the camera).” Karan said that it took him a minute but he found his groove and knew what he had to do.

The director is about to complete 25 years as a director in the movies and is currently basking in the success of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. He has co-produced Kill, which recently premiered at TIFF.

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