Karan Johar says he toned down his style so kids Roohi and Yash aren't bullied: ‘Worried they'll be embarrassed’

Karan Johar spoke about his children Yash and Roohi, and how he wants to protect them on Sania Mirza's show. Here's what he said.

Filmmaker Karan Johar sat down for a conversation with tennis pro Sania Mirza on Serving It Up With Sania. The director-producer got candid about how he toned down his dressing style so that his children, Roohi and Yash, wouldn’t be bullied about it at school. He also hoped that when they found old footage of him online, they wouldn’t be embarrassed by him.

Karan Johar's children Roohi and Yash were born via surrogacy in 2017.

Karan Johar on changing his dressing style for kids

Karan mentioned on the show that, despite limiting his children’s screen time, they will come across things that might make them feel differently about him. “Their iPad and screen time are limited, and yet things are popping up. What’s really scary about me is that I might have done things as a form of expression. I know I’ve danced on Jaya Pradha’s steps to a song on Dafli Wale, not on Rishi Kapoor’s steps,” he said.

He also added that he changed how he dresses so they don’t come across negativity at school. Karan said, “Now, because of things that are being said at school, I literally changed the clothes I wear. I am adapting so they don’t have to be afraid of what people at school might say if I’m wearing a sequin jacket. I am a maximalist. There are many people who say, be who you are. But you’re always worried as a parent. I am worried they’ll go online and they’ll find footage that may embarrass them, and I hope they aren’t.”

Karan, however, told Sania that he doesn’t want to change himself because of the world and wants his kids to grow up accepting everything and everyone.

About Karan Johar’s family

Karan shares a close relationship with his mother, Hiroo Johar, with whom he lives in Mumbai. He also has two children born through surrogacy in 2017, whom he has named Yash and Roohi after his parents. He last directed the 2023 film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani with Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt.