Controversy’s child, a poster boy for Bollywood family dramas and the industry’s favourite agony aunt — Karan Johar is all this and more. Little surprise then that his biography by Poonam Saxena — An Unsuitable Boy — made ripples even before it was launched and predictably, excerpts related to his sexuality and fallouts made their way to the Internet.
On Monday, the filmmaker officially launched the much-awaited biography along with his dear friend Shah Rukh Khan — who incidentally hasn’t taken to the title. “If anything, it should be called ‘The Good Boy’ or ‘The Intelligent Boy’ not the Unsuitable Boy. He is the kind of boy who watches TV serials with his mother — who does that now?” he questioned the audience. In a candid no-filter exchange with writer Shobhaa De, Karan spoke about the book and all that lies between its 216 pages.
Sex and sensibility: Karan’s sexual orientation has fuelled speculation for a long time now. He has therefore learnt to take it in his stride, often with a pinch of salt.
Karan admits that he has experimented with a dating site in his quest for love. “Sometimes you have to scratch yourself to find what’s not immediately available. There are various ways and means people sometimes have to look at,” he says referring to a dating site he signed up for in Tokyo.
“When you are single at 44, you will go through every possible opportunity. I would have liked to name them but they are very exclusive. Besides, I am not a success story of their agency at either. In fact, I am the one who failed,” he says letting out a laugh.
Excerpts: The longest relationship in the 44 years of my life has lasted for just one year. People can choose to believe it or not, but it’s the truth and I can swear on my life, career, family and everything that it’s true. There have been a series of sexual of sexual encounters, passing phases, but not as many as somebody in my situation would have had.
Of Friends and fallouts: Neither friendship not rivalry is permanent in Bollywood — a fact Kjo is well aware of. Even then, he is sure that his relationship with Kajol has run its course.
“Enough has been said about Kajol, especially since the excerpts were out. I just want to say that we had a great history and I want to remember this history that we shared. We had nearly 25 years of our friendship. Sometimes chapters end, books end, relationships end,” he says about his once BFF. There is one other friction that comes to mind — the one with Ram Gopal Varma. About Varma he writes in the book.
Excerpts: “My fight with Ram Gopal Varma was fun actually. Both of us were both playing to the gallery. He doesn’t care about me and I don’t care about him. Sporadically we would say something about each other for other people’s entertainment, but now he’s bored of me and I’m bored of him. Sometimes you need to shake things up a little bit. How can life be so sterile?
Parenting beckons: Karan Johar admits he has been dealing with paternal instincts for a while now. “I would like to be a parent. I don’t know in what capacity, I don’t know how it’s going to happen — I don’t have answers to those questions. But I do feel the need because I have love to offer. Since it (love) is there, I would like to take it forward. I feel the paternal instinct needs to be acted upon. I feel there is so much within me, ” he says.
Excerpts: Since last year I’ve started going to a psychologist. I I was finally told that it was anxiety attack. My mother has been going through health issues and every time she doesn’t answer the phone after three rings, I think the worst thoughts.
