Before he became one of India’s most influential filmmakers, Karan Johar had dreams of becoming a fashion designer. He even planned to study design in Paris, until Aditya Chopra intervened. The two had been working together on Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge when Aditya recognised Karan’s true calling. “You’re meant for films,” he told him. That moment, as Karan now recalls, changed the trajectory of his life–and the fate of Dharma Productions forever.
Speaking on Jay Shetty Podcast about the power of intuition, Karan said, “Instincts are our superpowers. And when we don’t listen to them, we’re failing that power.” Reflecting on Aditya Chopra’s early faith in him, he added that trusting instincts has been a guiding principle throughout his career, especially when it comes to discovering talent.
“Every time I have met a person, my gut has told me whether they’re meant to do something big,” Karan Johar said. He cited filmmakers like Ayan Mukerji, Shakun Batra, and Shashank Khaitan–all of whom he took a chance on when they had little to no experience. “When Ayan came to me, assisted me–I just told him, ‘You should direct a film.’ He made Wake Up Sid, and the rest is history. People questioned it, but I simply said, ‘I felt it.’”
However, Johar admits that he hasn’t always followed that voice. Recalling the making of OK Jaanu–a remake of Mani Ratnam’s Tamil film OK Kanmani–he said he ignored his gut feeling. “At that time, Aditya (Roy Kapur) and Shraddha (Kapoor) just had a hit, Aashiqui 2. They already agreed to do the film and the film came to me as a project. Ready. With a great remake. Shaad Ali–a great director. Wonderful actors. And yet, in my heart I actually felt that, ‘Should this film be remade?’ because it is so much in the moment. Can the moment be recaptured?’”
Despite strong expectations, OK Jaanu underperformed at the box office, grossing Rs 39.3 crore against a Rs 27 crore budget and receiving overwhelmingly negative reviews. Karan reflects, “It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Everyone did their job well. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t the right move–and I didn’t act on it.”
He concluded with a candid admission: “Even today, I sometimes don’t listen to my instincts. And when I don’t, I go wrong. It’s a mistake I keep making.”
