Karan Johar: Every time I make a blockbuster film, I have a failed relationship

On Day 2 of the Times LitFest 2016, Karan Johar bared his heart out to an interactive audience, as he spoke about his failed relationships, how he has evolved as a filmmaker since his first movie and his battle with depression. KJo is known as much for his wit and candour, as he is known for his celebrated films – and this time too, he didn’t disappoint.

The filmmaker, who is known for the way he brings out romance on celluloid, revealed that he has been unlucky in love. Delving into the deeper side of relationships, he admitted, “I have been a victim of unrequited love. I have had three failed relationships — they were all one-sided. If you see, most of my films have unrequited love as a theme. I am unable to make romcoms anymore because there is never ‘com’, but only pain in romances.”

He spoke about the stark contrast between his professional and personal life. “Every time I make a blockbuster film, I have a failed relationship,” he said.

And when Karan takes to the mic, you can expect peals of laughter. “Everyone tells me put yourself out there. But what is that ‘there’? I have been everywhere and I’m still single,” he said light-heartedly.

KJo further shed light on battling depression and credited ‘Dear Zindagi’ director Gauri Shinde for opening the discussion on the subject of mental illness in the film.

The filmmaker even sportingly accepted that his first directorial ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ was flawed in parts. He agreed that it was superficial to show Shah Rukh Khan’s character falling in love with Kajol’s Anjali after she ditched her tomboy avatar and became more ‘feminine’. “Shabana Azmi called me after the film and scolded me. Now when I look back, I see the flaws – when Anjali was a tomboy, she didn’t have a boyfriend. But when she grew her hair and wore a saree, she did. I realise that the politics in ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ are definitely questionable.”