Bollywood director Karan Johar has often won hearts with his films. Besides movies, he has always remained vocal about his sexuality. Recently, the filmmaker appeared on YouTube show ‘Be A Man Yaar’ hosted by Nikhil Taneja. During his interaction, he opened up on his adolescent days of life when he was teased for his sexual orientation.

Karan talks about his growing up years

Karan shared his struggles from early days and reflected on his journey. He confessed that he pretended to be in love with a schoolmate named Shalaka during his 10th standard. The director revealed being labelled in a demeaning way. He mentioned how people used derogatory language for him. Karan stated, “Today what you guys call ‘gay/fag/homo’ in a derogatory way, it was called ‘pansy’ those days.”

Furthermore, the filmmaker said that such words in addition to societal pressures pushed him into a shell. He disclosed that Shah Rukh Khan helped him a lot and he was the first man who never made him feel any lesser.

Apart from Karan, Amol Parashar, Govind Kaushal, Nakuul Mehta, Naseeruddin Shah, Naveen Kasturia, Sushant Divgikr, Vicky Kaushal, Vishnu Kaushal and Zakir Khan also graced Nikhil’s show.

Workwise, Karan Johar made a smashing comeback to direction with ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ after a gap of six years. The film not only earned love of the audiences but also managed to mint money on ticket windows. It starred Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, and Shabana Azmi in pivotal roles. The filmmaker also received honour at Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne for completing 25 years in the industry.

Karan will next bankroll “Sarzameen,” directed by Boman Irani’s son, Kayoze Irani under his production banner, Dharma Films. Besides this, he is all set Johar is set to launch Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh’s son, Ibrahim Ali Khan in a film with Kajol.