&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Karan Johar reveals how Shah Rukh Khan, Aditya Chopra changed his life; expresses gratitude on Guru Purnima")
On Wednesday, Karan Johar celebrated Guru Purnima by expressing his gratitude to two special people who had the biggest influence on his career. They are none other than Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Aditya Chopra. Johar took to his social media to share throwback photographs and revealed their contribution to his life.
Karan Johar's emotional post
In the heartfelt Instagram post, Johar revealed that a late-night conversation with Aditya Chopra came at a time when he was preparing to leave India for higher studies.
He wrote, “Two conversations were life changing for me…One was 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 …”
Also Read: Karan Johar enters Malayalam cinema with Prithviraj Sukumaran's Odiyan: The Age of Illusion
He further revealed, "I couldn’t sleep that night and then in my true filmy self… 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"…Passionate I was but wasn’t sure anyone would believe me at that point…. only Adi did… only him…"
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As per the filmmaker, the actor expressed complete faith in his abilities even before he had directed a single film. "Switzerland … 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 …," he added.
"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 … ( just like Adi did ) 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 … and a big shout out to every guru who has paid it forward and created careers for others …selflessly…."
Karan Johar's debut as director
Later in 1998, he made his directorial debut with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji. The film was a major box office success, paving the way for the filmmaker to create some iconic films of Bollywood such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001), and My Name Is Khan (2010).
