In a candid conversation with Barkha Dutt at We The Women 2025, Karan Johar shares his emotional journey as a single parent and addresses the ongoing nepotism debate.
LONDON, June 2025 – Award-winning journalist Barkha Dutt sat down with acclaimed filmmaker Karan Johar at the inaugural UK edition of We The Women 2025, held at the Anil Agarwal Riverside Studios in London. The women-centric festival brought together powerful voices to discuss issues of gender, identity, and personal journeys.
During the conversation, Johar reflected on his association with the term nepotism, saying,
> “A word got launched on my show, the stunning word called – Nepotism. There are so many born to privilege, and I do feel that we have the first mover advantage. We cannot take it away. We must admit it but also know that you cannot stick around if you don’t have what it takes.”
However, it was a deeply personal revelation about fatherhood that captured the audience’s attention. Recalling the harshest trolling he ever received, Johar shared,
> “The nastiest comment was: ‘Do you realise you have denied your children a mother?’ That broke my heart. It made me question being a single parent.”
He described a moment of vulnerability when he confronted his fears:
> “When my kids asked me where they came from, I told them, ‘You come from Dada’s heart.’ I believe strongly that I have enough love in me for both of them, but that comment made me second guess my decision. One morning, I just broke down, went into their room, and asked them, ‘Are you happy?’ They said, ‘We are very happy because you are our Dada.’”
The conversation was a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by single parents, and the resilience required to rise above societal judgments.