Karan Johar says Kajol would change sarees behind tree during DDLJ, recalls brushing her hair: 'Didn't have money to…'

Karan Johar talked about being an assistant director on Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, recalling setting Kajol's hair and designing costumes for Shah Rukh Khan.

Filmmaker Karan Johar gets candid about his early days in Bollywood, recalling the hustle behind the making of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. In a recent conversation with Jay Shetty on his podcast, the filmmaker opened up about the hands-on work he did as an assistant director, from designing costumes for Shah Rukh Khan to managing crowds on set.

Karan Johar recalls being an AD on Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.

Karan recalled how shooting a film earlier was not as easy as it is today. He mentioned that, unlike today, there were no separate departments for different tasks, and the assistant directors had to do everything. Karan revealed that during DDLJ, he, along with two other assistants, was responsible for writing dialogues and giving them to the actors, maintaining continuity, and also handling the crowds. He recalled being the costume designer for Shah Rukh Khan on set.

Karan Johar on struggles behind DDLJ shoot

He further shared that working on DDLJ for one year was the “best learning” of his life and recalled how he used to buy accessories for the female actors in the film from railway stations at a lower cost, and arrange their costumes.

Recalling the shoot in Switzerland, Karan said, “We were a unit of 21 people, just 21 people making a movie in one bus. We would sit in one bus, we would drive, and Adi would look at the locations and say, ‘Stop. This looks beautiful. Let’s go film’. We used to take Kajol behind a tree and make her wear a saree, and Shah Rukh would change anywhere and then come and shoot. There was no scout; we didn't have enough money to do it back then. Everyone held equipment and walked up, as if you had to shoot on a mountain top. Shah Rukh was holding equipment, and Kajol was too; literally, everyone was a team. There was no additional help, support. Today, everyone is so spoilt.”

He went on to explain how today, if you go into an actor's vanity van, there are eight people present there. He said, "Earlier, there was no publicist, management. A leading lady and her parent, that's it. I remember when Kajol was there, her hair and makeup person did not get a visa. I was brushing her hair on set, and her mother was doing her makeup. We didn't have a hair and makeup person for her. So it was like crazy." He further added that it was fun making movies earlier, as there was camaraderie. However, Karan feels that now everything is too structured and boring.

About Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

Helmed by Aditya Chopra and produced by Yash Chopra, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was released in 1995 and became a cultural phenomenon. The film featured Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in lead roles, along with Amrish Puri, Anupam Kher and others in key roles. The film is remembered for its dialogues, iconic songs, and Shah Rukh-Kajol’s chemistry.

Karan Johar-backed Sarzameen has been released on JioHotstar. Helmed by Boman Irani's son Kayoze Irani, the film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Kajol and Ibrahim Ali Khan in lead roles. The film opened to mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. Karan is also awaiting the release of his next production, Dhadak 2. Helmed by Shazia Iqbal, the film stars Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri in lead roles. The film is scheduled to hit theatres on 1 August 2025.