That's What Friends Are For

Karan Johar And Alia Bhatt Are BFFS With So Much In Common—They’Re Bollywood Blue Bloods, Hold Their Fame Lightly, And Have Made Standout Careers By Smashing Stereotypes. Mallika Dua Gives Us A Closer Peek At Their Friendship.

- Mallika Dua

LEADING MAN Sometimes it feels as if Karan Johar has his own cinema genie, who turns all his wishes into money-spinning, mass-appealing hits. But it isn’t like that at all. He has everything, and he gives his all, every single day. In the two and a half years I’ve spent on the fringes of this industry, I’ve realised that unlike in other professions, here, the more successful you become, the harder you have to work to keep it. You wake up every day with the fear of the unknown and the fear of becoming unknown. In the course of my conversation with Karan, I learnt that Bollywood’s most powerful producer and star-maker isn’t above these fears either. He does, however, manage to own them—the man is a career case study on success, longevity, leadership and building relationships.

Mallika Dua: Your first film came out in 1998; it’s now 2019. Not only are you still famous, but also hugely relevant and influential. What’s your secret?

Karan Johar: Accessibility, availability and affability. I’m making myself do lots of things that people who take themselves very seriously don’t do. I also have a mother who keeps me grounded. When your basics are strong, you don’t take yourself very seriously.

MD: But this is an industry of megalomaniacs!

KJ: That’s also very entertaining to watch. Sometimes, you’re caught in a conversation where you think to yourself: if I don’t praise this person, this conversation will go south. I’ve become very good with fake praise. I have mastered the art of what to say after a screening. I just hug and say, “I’m speechless!”.

MD: Let’s talk about your relationship with Alia. Everybody knows you’re her mentor, are you also her harshest critic?