Why Karan Johar is once again at the center of a Bollywood controversy

Karan Johar shared this image (courtesy: Karan Johar)

The internet has once again painted a target on Karan Johar’s back, which he obliquely recognized in a poetic note of defiance shared on his Instagram Stories. It all started when Priyanka Chopra told American actor Dax Shepard on her podcast Expert Armchair that she left Bollywood because she “had a hard time with people” and felt “cornered”. On desi Twitter, fingers were instantly pointed at Karan Johar who is rumored to have led a boycott campaign against Priyanka before leaving to make a dent in Hollywood and ended up starring in QuanticoTHE Baywatch film and now the Russo Brothers series Citadel. Social media went looking for trouble and found it in an old clip of KJo and his Ae Dil Hai Mushkil star Anushka Sharma in which he joked about “wanting to murder” the actress’ career. Here’s how it started and how it’s going.

Late last month, Priyanka Chopra kicked up the dust at her home in India when she told podcast host Dax Shepard exactly why she was looking West. “I was pushed into a corner of the industry (Bollywood). I had people not casting me, I had beef with people, I’m not good at playing this game, so I was a bit tired of politics and said I needed a break,” she said.

The internet was quick to connect the dots with Karan Johar. This clip, shared by screenwriter Apurva Asrani and others, went viral and was seen as proof that KJo had targeted not only Priyanka, but other “foreign” actors as well. The filmmaker jokes about why he tried to “sabotage” Anushka, who was cast by Yash Raj Films, and later apologized. “I totally wanted to completely murder Anushka Sharma’s career because when Aditya Chopra showed me her picture I was like ‘no no, mad or what? You crazy, you don’t need to sign this Anushka Sharma.’ There was another lead actress at that time that I wanted Adi to sign and I was totally behind the scenes completely sabotaging (Anushka) The movie too, I was reluctantly watching at that time, Rab and Jodi’s children. But when I saw Baaja Baaraat Group I called her and felt I owed her an apology and a compliment. Apologies because I felt so embarrassed that I would have actually ruined the exceptionally talented chart,” KJo says in the video.

“I totally wanted to murder Anushka Sharma’s career” – Karan Johar confesses to Rajeev Masand and Anupama Chopra in 2016. Jokingly said, I’m sure, but still a valid point in the raging debate between insiders and outsiders . pic.twitter.com/8JNLp8Kyud

Apurva (@Apurvasrani) April 6, 2023

Actress Kangana Ranaut has added her voice to the storm of protests Kangana and Karan Johar have been battling since she called him Bollywood’s “standard bearer of nepotism” on an episode of her chat show. Coffee with Karan. He responded by chanting “nepotism rocks” at the IIFA Awards with second-generation Bollywood actors Varun Dhawan and Saif Ali Khan and apologized for the IIFA controversy after a backlash.

Whatever “beef” Priyanka Chopra and Karan Johar may or may not have had in the past, they warmly greeted each other at the opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Center in Mumbai a few days ago. Priyanka, who arrived from Los Angeles with husband Nick Jonas and daughter Malti Marie, was caught on camera hugging KJo at the event where the video went viral.

Over the weekend, Karan Johar shared these resolute and poetic words: “Laga lo ilzaam, Hum jhukne waalon mein se nahi, Jhoot ka ban jao Ghulam, Hum bolne waalon mein se nahi, Jitna neecha dikhaoge, Jitne aarop lagaoge, Hum girne waalon mein se nahi, Humara karam humari Vijay hai, Aap utha lo talvaar, Hum marne waalon mein se nahi (Accuse me, I won’t bend. Become a slave to lies, I won’t answer. No matter how low you go, I won’t fall. My victory is in my actions. Take the sword, I won’t die) .”

Karan Johar is currently working on Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaniwith Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh.