Karan Johar’s film director post on Guru Purnima acknowledged two of the most influential figures in his life and career: Shah Rukh Khan and Aditya Chopra. In a Facebook post he wrote in a very sentimental tone that both figures impacted his life and career greatly and that the conversations that came up with changed the course of his life and helped him become one of India’s most successful filmmakers.
Guru Purnima is celebrated in India as a day of gratitude for teachers, mentors and guides and Karan Johar had an opportunity to thank the people who inspired him through his filmmaking career. In his message he said Shah Rukh Khan and Aditya Chopra were not just friends, but mentors who were not just the people to whom he would have come to be with, but who were the people who gave him the guidance, motivation and the knowledge that he would learn to think about the world of cinema and life in general and the people on his side and in his life.
Karan Johar’s friendship with Shah Rukh Khan is more than 20 years old and one of Bollywood’s most cherished creative partnerships. Shah Rukh Khan is in the lead role in Karan Johar's first movie in 1998 - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The film went on to be a huge hit and established Karan Johar as a movie director and also a movie maker. Since then he and Shah Rukh have done a number of successful films together, such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, My Name Is Khan and various production films with Dharma Productions.
When we are talking about Shah Rukh Khan’s influence, Karan said he has learned so much from him about resilience, humility, leadership and holding onto faith even in hard times. People are still having so many conversations on the film sets and scripts and life decisions and getting through things in life, personal growth, and being a confident person and I think that it is very much of a great lesson and is life-changing for me.
Aditya Chopra is very much part of Karan's tribute, the chairman of Yash Raj Films and one of the most celebrated directors of the Indian films. Karan always says Aditya Chopra recognized and supported him in getting into filmmaking. It was on Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge that their friendship happened, when Karan was an assistant director and also did a few scenes as an actor. That experience changed his life as a director and made him want to become a director.
Aditya Chopra was someone who changed Karan’s perspective on storytelling and filmmaking with his creative vision and practical wisdom. He said in many of their conversations he’d have to think differently and he learned more about the nature of the scriptwriting, production, direction and audience expectations from him. He expressed gratitude to Aditya for his guidance and trust every time in that period of time.
Supporters and film industry members were overwhelmed with the emotional tribute, many fans and the film fraternity praised Karan for publicly stating that mentoring is important in an industry where competition is so much more common (and that his mentor is too often taken for granted in the industry). And social media sites were flooded with appreciation for the touching gesture and the sense of the lasting friendships and professional ties between some of Bollywood's biggest names.
Guru Purnima is a time for artists, performers, musicians and filmmakers to thank the ones who have helped them. Karan Johar’s message was a great illustration of mentorship as much as technical knowledge. It wasn’t that he was just saying that they have to be an emotional support and honest discussion, he’s saying that if you believe in the ability of another one and you’re confident in him and all he’s doing, that’s really good advice.
The tribute also served to remind the audience of the great accomplishments of Shah Rukh Khan, Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar. A number of movies have been produced in their collaboration with great impact on the world of Hindi cinema and have so far changed the face of Hindi cinema in the face of the world.
In the context of a Dharma Productions program that employs Karan Johar to nurture young filmmakers and actors, the Guru Purnima message was also a full circle. He was able to learn so much from his mentor and is now providing that same mentorship for young filmmakers and actors in the film industry. He was a very good man to say this and it was a very heartwarming message for me to hear and that the wisdom that one gets from one of the most trusted mentors is the most valuable for you to develop and grow from and to become who you are today.
Guru Purnima, on this auspicious day Karan Johar’s tribute was a beautiful one of gratitude, friendship and the value of mentorship. And his acknowledgment of Shah Rukh Khan and Aditya Chopra was one of the most important ones, and to recognize both of Bollywood’s great leaders, that it is a lifelong journey and that we should have learning, guidance and meaningful relationships that are very much needed for great careers.
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