'Too Old To Protect': Karan Johar, 54, On Why He Doesn't Want His Children In Bollywood

Karan Johar has spent decades dealing with the highs and lows of the Hindi film industry, but he is not necessarily keen on having his children follow in his footsteps. The filmmaker recently talked about the challenges of working in Bollywood and revealed that he is almost trying to dissuade his children from entering the business. 

During the latest episode of Koffee With Karan, the host discussed parenting and the challenges of raising children in the film industry with guests Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. He said, "Well, look, as I said, it's not an easy place. It's tough. I am almost dissuading my children from the business. And everybody says, ‘Why are you doing that? Why are you doing that? I am like, look, I will be too old to protect them at that time." 

Kareena Kapoor, however, offered a different take on parental protectiveness and suggested that being overly protective could sometimes hold children back. “I feel maybe the protection is also what is causing the issue. I think sometimes we just have to, like, probably just… you know, we're all so protective towards our children. I feel sometimes our parents just let us go and say, ‘Karni hai toh karo, you know, karo. You have to go and ‘ragdo'," she added. Karan agreed with her perspective. 

Earlier, Karan Johar opened up about a personal struggle from his childhood that has had a lasting impact on him. The filmmaker revealed that his childhood experiences with bullying shaped his parenting style to the point that he is "paranoid" about his children gaining weight.

"I want to tell you that 50% of me is so scarred by my childhood that I get paranoid that my kids would gain weight. I carry childhood trauma. I keep saying, ‘Don't eat sugar'. But a part of me wants to liberate them from it," he said in an interaction with Sania Mirza on her podcast Serving It Up with Sania.   

Karan also admitted that he finds himself in a "conflicted zone of parenting". He expressed concern about the societal expectations and social media pressures that could have a negative influence on his twins as they grow up.

Karan Johar is a father to twins, son Yash and daughter Roohi, whom he welcomed through surrogacy in February 2017. Yash was named after his late father, Yash Johar, while Roohi's name is an anagram of his mother Hiroo Johar's name.

Also Read | "I Know I Am Answerable," Says Karan Johar On His Fear Of Being A Single Parent To His Kids Roohi And Yash