During the Director’s Adda 2023, where the guests were asked about the art creating love stories, Karan Johar’s take took everyone by surprise, the actor-director-producer whose last directorial Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani had love story at its core surrounded by several taboos in the society being addressed, said that he has always remained alien to the idea of a love story.
“The irony is that I don’t know anything about the male female dynamics actually. It is actually completely alien to me personally,” Johar said in conversation with Anupama Chopra. “ I haven’t even been in a strong relationship that’s lasted long enough for me to tell stories of love. I have because when I grew up on the fodder of romance and love in Indian cinema and Hindi cinema. Raj Kapoor and Yash Chopra, vintage Guru Dutt, they were all influences, so all I was doing was deriving from cinema.” Johar said.
Talking about Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2015) that was based on his own love story he said, “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil arrived as a love story was my story, I fell in love with someone whom I realized was not mine, and then I understood what one sided love is, then I realized that there is a creature called unrequited love that is heartbreaking, it can shatter you into pieces.”
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil directed by Johar starred Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma in the lead. Kapoor’s character was based on Johar’s life. Apart from Johar, the Director’s Adda 2023 was also attended by Konkona Sen Sharma, Vetrimaaran, Avinash Arun, Hemanth M Rao, Nelson, Karthik Subbaraj and Jeo Baby.