Can’t wait to work with Shah Rukh Khan again, says Karan Johar

Filmmaker Karan Johar says he is very keen to “collaborate with the superstar in a full-fledged manner”

Clearly, 2018 is an important year for Karan Johar in more ways than one – firstly, he completes 20 years in Bollywood (his directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai featuring Shah Rukh Khan released in 1998). Plus, the current year will also see him start pre-production work on his next directorial after the 2016 hit Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016). And the filmmaker admits that he is really keen to team up with SRK again.

Karan Johar will soon start work on his next directorial. (AFP)

“I just can’t wait to share cinema space with Shah Rukh again. In the last few years, we co-produced films together such as Student Of The Year (2012) and Dear Zindagi (2016) but now I can’t wait to collaborate with him in a full-fledged manner because I know whenever we do something together, it will be extraordinary and amazing,” says Karan, adding that SRK “isn’t just a part of my career”. “He is a part of my life as well. Shah Rukh, Gauri and the kids – Aryan, Suhana and AbRam – are my immediate family. I won’t even use the word ‘dosti (friendship)’ . Apart from my dad (late Yash Johar) and mum (Hiroo Johar), I consider Shah Rukh and Adi (Aditya) Chopra’s families my other families in Mumbai. They are always going to be in every part and beat of my life,” says the film-maker.

Ask him if he ever feels pressurised due to people’s expectations and he says, “Not really! I stopped feeling that a while ago. Actually, I realised that at one point, it was getting to me. I feel I no longer want to worry about expectations as my biggest job is to kind of compete with my own self. And I think that’s what I want to keep things to.”

The Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...(2001) director admits that he has thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being a part of “every vertical that I’ve ever engaged in”. “I haven’t limited myself to just being a director as I have done so many other things. I can’t be more grateful to everyone for two decades of continuous love and immense acceptance. They continue to empower me to exist,” he says.