Karan Johar

Karan Johar was born in Mumbai in 1972. The son of producer Yash Johar, he grew up around Hindi cinema. His directorial debut, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” (1998), became a major success and established his place in the industry.

He followed it with films including “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” (2001) and “My Name Is Khan” (2010). Through Dharma Productions and his television programme “Koffee with Karan”, he became influential as a producer and public personality as well as a director.

Queer characters and experiences have appeared in his work in markedly different forms. The comedy “Dostana” (2008), which he produced, used a pretended gay relationship, while his contribution to “Bombay Talkies” (2013) approached same-sex desire more directly.

In “An Unsuitable Boy” (2017), Johar discussed his sexuality indirectly, explaining his reluctance to make an explicit public declaration. His comments prompted debate over visibility, stigma and responsibility. India’s Supreme Court decriminalised consensual same-sex relations in 2018. Johar became the father of twins through surrogacy in 2017.