In a recent heart-to-heart conversation on Jay Shetty’s podcast, filmmaker Karan Johar opened up about several facets of his life, spanning from childhood experiences to adult learnings, personal vulnerabilities to professional instincts. One of the most insightful aspects of the conversation was Karan’s deep reflection on the power of intuition and how, over the years, listening, or failing to listen, to it has shaped his journey in the film industry.
Karan emphasized that instinct, for him, is a sacred and powerful inner voice. “Instincts are our superpowers. And when we don’t listen to them, we’re failing that power,” he said, underlining how tuning into one’s gut can guide decision-making more accurately than logic or trends. He credited iconic filmmaker Aditya Chopra for believing in his potential at the start of his career and added that this faith in people, and in one’s instinct about them, is what helped him discover and nurture fresh talent.
He proudly mentioned names like Ayan Mukerji, Shakun Batra, and Shashank Khaitan, directors with little experience at the time he chose to back them. Karan stated, “Every time I have met a person, my gut has told me whether they’re meant to do something big.” This instinct-driven approach has led to many memorable collaborations and some of the most unique voices in contemporary Hindi cinema.
However, Karan also acknowledged that ignoring his inner voice has sometimes led to disappointment. He candidly recalled the making of OK Jaanu, a film he now sees as a misstep. The 2017 movie, a remake of Mani Ratnam’s hit Tamil film OK Kanmani, starred Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur, then riding high on the success of Aashiqui 2.
While the project came to him with a compelling director, talented actors, and an existing template of success, Karan confessed he had doubts from the start. “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?” he reflected.
Despite the high expectations, OK Jaanu failed to strike a chord with both the audience and critics. The film underperformed at the box office and received lukewarm reviews.