Karan Johar has openly discussed his battle with body dysmorphia, a condition that makes him extremely self-conscious, especially in social settings like swimming pools.
“I am very awkward getting into a pool,” he admitted, noting his preference for oversized clothes to cope with the discomfort. “Even during intimate moments, I find myself turning off the lights,” he added, highlighting the deep impact of his struggles.
In an interview with Faye D’Souza, Johar shared his childhood challenges, including feeling that he failed his parents by not conforming to traditional masculine norms. “As a child, I felt I failed a lot,” he confessed. This feeling was compounded by experiences at school where he felt different from his peers due to his “effeminate voice,” a trait for which he secretly took voice modulation classes disguised as computer classes to his parents.
Johar recalled a painful memory from a talent show where he sensed ridicule from some attendees while his mother watched. This led him to question, “Why can’t I be like other boys?” reflecting his ongoing internal conflict.
Furthermore, Johar also touched upon the complexities of raising his twins, born via surrogacy, in a non-traditional family setup. He candidly discussed navigating sensitive questions from his children about their mother, illustrating the challenges of modern parenting. “It’s not easy being a parent,” he stated, emphasizing his unique difficulties.
