Karan Johar became a single parent in 2017 via surrogacy at the age of 44. He named his kids Yash and Roohi Johar, the son named after his late father, film producer Yash Johar, who died of cancer in 2004. Karan, who’s no longer on the microblogging website X, recalls the one comment about his kids that deeply affected him.
“There was a comment once, and there have been several post that, which was really tough because it made me think. It said, ‘Do you realize you’ve denied your children a mother?’ That broke my heart. That made me question my decision of being a single parent for the first time,” said Karan.
In the interview to Mojo Story, he explained how he always sugarcoated his responses whenever his kids asked him where they came from since they don’t have a mother. “The very morning I read that comment, I just broke down, sitting in my room. Then I went into their room. They were five years old at that time. I looked at them, and it was a silly question to ask five-year-olds, but I said, ‘Are you happy?,’” recalled Karan.
When they said yes, and Karan asked them why, they replied, “Because you’re our dada (father).” “In a sense, that answered my question. I was like, bring it on! Say what you want, I’m very proud to be their single parent. It’s very daunting, and also hilarious when you’re on two WhatsApp groups with 30 mothers on one and 32 on another,” said Karan, his signature sense of humour intact.
“Whenever I go to any parent-teacher meeting, I’m always doing two (as a father and a mother) for both of them. That’s the joy of having twins. But the double whammy for me has been that I’ve been an only child and a single parent. So I don’t have a partner or a sibling. But I have so much support from my friends. My found family has been exceptional. They’ve been there for me, with me, by me through tough times and happy times. I’m just so blessed I’ve been able to create this found family,” added Karan.
Karan revealed that he’s always had very strong paternal and maternal instincts even as a mentor at Dharma Productions. “I was always like a father to my two cousins Priyanka and Anushka. Then when I launched Alia (Bhatt), I felt very paternal towards her. Right through the journey, I looked over her like I’d do if I had a child,” said Johar.
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Karan directed Alia Bhatt in his 2012 directorial, Student of the Year. He claimed that he took the surrogacy route quite late because he was waiting to fall in love. “If love happens, it does or it doesn’t. You can’t just keep waiting for something that never happens or can happen in the way you imagined it to. So I thought now I have to just stop waiting. If it comes my way, it will. But what I do want to be is a parent,” added Johar.
