Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 29 (ANI): In an emotional tribute this Guru Purnima, filmmaker Karan Johar gave a shoutout to his close friends and longtime collaborators – Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and producer Aditya Chopra.
The filmmaker revisited a life-changing conversation with Aditya Chopra, revealing that he was preparing to leave India for studies when Chopra urged him to assist on ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’.
“At 1am in the morning when Adi asked me to assist him on DDLJ ( I was about to leave for my further studies )… he told me I had to be a director … I was melodramatic and filmy and the only thing I needed was an interval because I was always on a treadmill ( not the ones gyms are famous for ) … he said if I didn’t pursue this path I would be making a huge mistake … I couldn’t sleep that night and then in my true filmy self,” he wrote.
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Karan revealed that he sought a year from his father, veteran producer Yash Johar, to work on a film set.
“I went dramatically to my father the next morning and asked him for a year of my life…. A year on a film set …. He looked at my moist eyes (looked like tears but was actually just lack of sleep and a developing stye) and said “beta … will you know what to do on a set ? ” …. I said an emphatic NO…. He asked … “Will you promise to work very hard and follow every instruction ? “…. He said… “that will make you a producer…. To be a director you need only and only Passion,” he added.
Further on, Karan Johar recalled a defining moment with SRK, whom Karan affectionately called “bhai”, and shared how the actor expressed complete faith in him even before he became a director.
“I was looking at the mountains (pretending to be home sick and seeking sympathy) he came to me and said “tu director banega and teri pehli film main karoonga”… i thought to myself … he’s probably low on oxygen and may not completely know what he’s saying… But he was serious and followed up with my father as we got back to India … my father (who was mildly hard of hearing) wasn’t sure either… But Srk was serious… he believed in me for a reason I can’t quite comprehend even today,” Karan wrote.
Concluding his post, Karan expressed his gratitude to both Aditya Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan, crediting them for his “strengths, wins” and more.
“I love you Adi and Bhai… I am here with my strengths and flaws….my ups and downs … my wins and my losses… only and only because of the both of you …. You both are the only reason I can tell stories today #happygurupurnima,” he wrote.
It is worth mentioning that Karan Johar worked as an assistant director for ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’.
In 1998, Karan made his directorial debut with ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, which featured Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, and Rani Mukerji in the lead roles. (ANI)
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