Introducing Karan Johar
Karan Johar
Born in 1972, Karan Johar is often known as KJo in the Indian cinema industry. He has reached popularity as a film director. He is the name behind a few other world renowned productions apart from My Name Is Khan, yet he is also a costume designer, actor, TV personality, producer and screenwriter.
Karan Johar became known as a director after he released Kuch Kuch Hota Hai – a popular romance that hit the cinemas in 1998. He received two major awards for it, becoming one of the most prolific young directors – Best Screenplay and Best Director at the Filmfare Awards. His next productions took a different path – he moves on from comedies to dramas. Released in 2001 and 2006, both dramas were extremely well received by the international cinema industry. In 2010, he came back to the Filmfare Awards to get another award – Best Director again. The social drama is probably his best known film so far. The successful director moved on with his work and by 2018, he hit the Filmfare Awards another time with Raazi – a thriller that won the best film. All these notes turned him into a top director in India.
Discovering a new experience while directing My Name Is Khan
My Name Is Khan was the fourth directorial production for Karan Johar. The young director was already familiar with dramas after two international ventures produced in India – Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006). However, My Name Is Khan took everything to another level.
The drama revolves around the unhappy events of 9/11, when the World Trade Center and other locations in the USA were attacked by terrorists. It is a social drama introducing the audience to a Muslim man who suffers from the Asperger’s syndrome. The cast was perfect – Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, a loved pair in India who last acted together in 2001.
The couple lives in San Francisco and the man suffers from the Asperger’s syndrome. Soon after the attacks, the couple becomes a victim of racism and must face abuse on an almost daily basis. The man’s story tends to become even more dramatic with time.
The film became a major success all over the world. The director received positive feedback from most critics, regarding of the location. The film described the stress Muslims face in certain communities, as well as the racial abuse. My Name Is Khan is rich in content and flawless. It will trigger and ravage your feelings. Unsurprisingly, the director received a second Best Director award at the Filmfare Awards.
