Karan Johar is known for some of Bollywood’s biggest hits since his very first feature film, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, released in 1998. After his father, Yash Johar, passed away, Karan Johar quickly took the reins of the family production house — Dharma Productions — and has been at the helm of countless blockbuster hits. Most us love Karan Johar for the films that he has written and directed and we can hardly wait for his next feature film, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
Bollywood’s much awaited Diwali film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil features an exciting ensemble cast of Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anushka Sharma and Fawad Khan, and promises a journey of friendship, heartbreak and love.
So whilst we eagerly wait for the release of the films in cinemas on 28th October through Fox Star Studios, here is a list of Karan Johar films that you can catch up on!
1. Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
This 1998 romantic dramedy featured Kajol, Rani Mukherjee, and Shah Rukh Khan in a love triangle. Kajol’s Anjali and SRK’s Rahul have gone down in Bollywood history as best-friends-who-missed-the-love-boat, thanks to Rani Mukherjee’s glamorous avatar as Tina. But with a little bit of Karan Johar Magic, anything is possible—especially jab kuch kuch hota hai. If you have not seen this very first piece of Karan Johar’s cinematic handiwork, then download this timeless classic.
2. Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham
Kabhi Khushi Khabi Gham — better known as K3G — was a 2001 family drama carrying the tagline “It’s all about loving your parents”. A story around the wealthy Raichand family, K3G made it a little hard to love the Raichand family patriarch, played by Amitabh Bachchan, thanks to his stubborn and egotistical ways. If you are looking for some old-fashioned Bollywood family drama, then look no further and watch this blockbuster film which also features Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor-Khan in lead roles.
3. Kal Ho Naa Ho
Unlike all the other films that are featured on this list, Kal Ho Naa Ho was written and produced, but not directed, by Karan Johar. There is no doubt that Karan Johar’s story helped newbie director Nikhil Advani helm a huge box office hit. SRK’s Aman Mathur, Preity Zinta’s Naina Kapur, and Saif Ali Khan’s Rohit Patel end up in a love triangle of sorts — which is made a bit more complicated thanks to Aman’s mysterious past.
4. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
This 2006 drama took a bit of a diversion from Karan Johar’s previous family-friendly topics and looked at the blossoming love, and a subsequent extramarital affair, between Dev Saran (Shah Rukh Khan) and Maya Talwar (Rani Mukherjee). Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna also delved into both Dev and Maya’s personal histories to help the viewer understand why these two were drawn to each other and away from their unhappy marriages. Priety Zinta as Rhea Saran and Abhishek Bachchan as Rishi Talwar co-star as Dev and Maya’s spouses, respectively. Ultimately, this film will leaving thinking about love and marriage — but the film features some amazing music and gorgeous cinematography.
5. My Name is Khan
Moving away from his usual reliance on movies that start with the letter “K,” Karan Johar wrote and directed My Name is Khan in 2010 — a drama featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in leading roles. From the lead character’s Asperger’s Syndrome to anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. in the aftermath of 9/11 to a cross-country escapade that lands Rizwan Khan (played by SRK) in New Orleans in the middle of Hurricane Katrina — My Name is Khan was journey of discovery.
6. Student of the Year
In yet another departure from his norm, in 2012 Karan Johar wrote and directed his first venture that did not feature Shah Rukh Khan in the star lineup but had him joining as co-producer! This little fact aside, Student of the Year served as the launch pad for the careers of newcomers Varun Dhawan, Siddharth Malhotra, and Alia Bhatt.
7. Bombay Talkies
Karan Johar also wrote and directed one of the short films featured in the 2013 movie Bombay Talkies which was premiered at Cannes Film Festival. So it’s a lesson well learnt that Karan Johar, the most commercially successful of all the directors involved in this film, reminds us in Bombay Talkies why a book should be never be judged by its cover. He directed the most hard-hitting story of the four.
