Karan Johar, or KJo as he’s popularly known, is one of modern Bollywood’s most popular directors ever since he had his first breakout with the romantic comedy-drama Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998. Much like his father Yash and mother Hiroo Johar, he has also carved his niche as a producer within the industry, as the head honcho of Dharma Productions.
Apart from helming seven feature films as a director, Johar has also dabbled in other efforts such as writing his witty memoir An Unsuitable Boy, hosting the scandalous celebrity talk show Koffee With Karan, and directing three shorts in the anthologies: Bombay Talkies, Lust Stories, and Ghost Stories.
From K3G to Rock Ranii: How KJo changed Bollywood romance
With Dharma Productions, Johar has had the opportunity to venture into genres like drama and action. But romance is perhaps what he will always be associated with, thanks to his evergreen classic romances like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. The former was his Filmfare and National Award-winning directorial debut that paired Shah Rukh Khan alongside Kajol and Rani Mukherji in a love triangle.
The acting trio would join forces with him again in his even more star-studded family drama-cum-romance Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (aka K3G). Johar is unabashedly distant from reality as most of his romances show, and it’s this over-the-top nature that he embraces wholeheartedly. This results in mainstream favourites like the aforementioned two movies which have offered audiences catchy dialogues, hum-worthy songs, exquisite foreign locations, and romances straight out of a fairytale.
Often, Johar can subvert his notions of perfect romance too. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was an interesting experiment that found him tackling extramarital adultery while his 2023 Gen-Z effort Rocky Aur Ranii Ki Prem Kahaani found Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt playing lovers from vastly different cultural backgrounds.
His acclaimed short in Lust Stories proved that once in a blue moon, Johar can step out of his ivory tower and make more grounded middle-class love stories. With a career highlight from Kiara Advani in the lead, the Lust Stories short was a delightful take on female sexual independence in conservative families. Similarly, his short Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh in Bombay Talkies touched upon the everyday struggles of an Indian gay man.
KJo and SRK: a beautiful friendship
Shah Rukh Khan has endured as Bollywood’s quintessential lover, owing a lot to his involvement with Yash Raj Films productions like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. But some of Shah Rukh Khan’s best movies in this sense have also come from Dharma Productions with King Khan getting top billing on Johar’s first three romances. Both actor and director showcased a whole other side to their career trajectory when they collaborated on Johar’s fourth movie, the social drama My Name is Khan.
Even after 2010, Khan has retained his partnership with Johar, acting in many of the films that the latter produces and even dropping in for a charming cameo in Johar’s 2016 musical romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
Why My Name Is Khan is Karan Johar’s best movie?
The 2010 hit My Name is Khan was Johar’s attempt at stepping out of his comfort zone. And it was indeed a successful attempt, bringing out the emotional best of its writer-director. Revolving around an autistic Muslim man and his Hindu wife, the movie explored the racism and prejudice that plagued post-9/11 America. It was a bold statement on current affairs and a family-friendly call for universal peace.
Where can you stream Karan Johar’s filmography?
Karan Johar’s movies can be streamed on Netflix and Prime Video.
