I’m guilty of nepotism: Karan Johar’s confession will make Kangana Ranaut very happy

Just when KJo thought his latest season of Koffee With Karan was a grand success, and he could go back home a happy host, the unabashed and unapologetic queen of Bollywood, Kangana Ranaut, came on the show and shattered a lot of myths around the ace filmmaker. And out of several honest things she spoke, her statement on Karan being the “movie mafia” and “flag bearer of nepotism” is still having its ripple effects, despite the season wrapping up. Karan had denied that he could be held guilty of nepotism a few days later, ironically in conversation with Anupama Chopra in London.

Also read | Karan Johar answers Kangana Ranaut’s nepotism charge: Kangana, if you’re so terrorised by the industry, leave it! Watch Video

“I appreciate that she had a great, great perspective. Everyone lauded her because she came on my show and gave it back to me. I am like, ‘of course.’ Because I was gracious enough to keep everything. I could have edited so much — it is my show. I said, let the world know her opinion. This is what she thinks. But this is my platform, so I’ll tell you what I think. She was my guest and I had to hear what she had to say. When she says ‘Flag-bearer of Nepotism’, I want to say to her, I am glad she knows what it means,” Karan had thrashed Kangana.
https://twitter.com/iAmNehaBhatt/status/838444879671881730
But, Karan, who appeared as a guest on The Front Row with Anupama Chopra in 2012, had said that he cast Alia Bhatt in Student of The Year, because she is Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter. The clip from the show, where KJo is speaking on the issue much in detail, was shared on Twitter by a fan.

Check out the clip of Karan Johar where he speaks about nepotism, here.
https://twitter.com/anna_hateway/status/846070009747165184
Read what Karan Johar said in the video.

“Out of the lot, I picked up a chubby girl. I saw something. And maybe the fact, I can’t lie, that she was Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter also excited me. I don’t know. it could be. right now I’d like to say no, but it may have been a very strong sublayer, and that is nepotism, and we are guilty, I am guilty. I’m definitely guilty. Would I have cast Varun Dhawan if he wasn’t David Dhawan’s son? Because he was David Dhawan’s son, he was on my set as an AD, and that’s why I spent enough time to understand that he can be a movie star. There are a lot of factors in this country that determine movie stardom and I think true talent is the least of them. It’s sad. It’s truly tragic. Would I have been a filmmaker? I’m a producer’s son. I had no experience, I was an assistant on one film. My father had the platform to give me, therefore I’m a filmmaker. So if I go through any struggle, I deserve it.”

Also read | Kangana Ranaut nepotism remark: From Anushka Sharma to Alia Bhatt, what stars said

While actors like Anushka Sharma, Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda rejected the existence of nepotism in Bollywood, stating that success was more to do with hard work, several others did accept that being a star kid or having a star connect gives you easy access to the best banners.