Long before his recent transformation made headlines, Karan Johar’s relationship with his body was shaped by family conversations, early insecurities, and hard lessons about health. At 53, after losing nearly 20 kilograms, the filmmaker opened up about his journey during a candid chat with Aadar Jain and Alekha Jain on The Manyavar Shaadi Show, sharing what truly pushed him to make lasting changes.
Karan revealed that the motivation to focus on his health began at home. His mother, Hiroo Johar, was always straightforward about his weight, often calling him out without sugarcoating her words. While those comments felt harsh at the time, Karan admitted they played a role in making him confront reality and take responsibility for his well-being.
Growing up, Karan’s parents had very different expectations for him. His father, Yash Johar, the founder of Dharma Productions, once imagined his son as a future Bollywood hero, believing his weight would eventually drop with age. Hiroo Johar, however, strongly disagreed and openly dismissed the idea, firmly grounding the family’s expectations. Karan now looks back at those moments with humour, acknowledging how those contrasting views shaped his understanding of himself.
His struggle with weight began much earlier, during his college days at H.R. College of Commerce in Mumbai. Surrounded by peers who seemed fitter, Karan felt out of place and turned to the Atkins diet in hopes of rapid weight loss. The extreme routine took a toll on his health within a month, and he fainted during an Accounts class. That incident marked the end of the diet, and once Hiroo Johar found out, she immediately put a stop to it.
In recent years, Karan’s visible weight loss sparked widespread speculation about the use of Ozempic. Addressing these rumours, he clarified that he did not use the medication. Instead, medical tests revealed that he is gluten and lactose intolerant, something he had been unaware of for years. By cutting back on gluten and understanding which foods suited his body better, including choosing rice over rotis, Karan saw steady and natural results.
Looking back, Karan Johar’s weight loss journey was not driven by appearance alone but by health, awareness, and maturity. From college missteps to family honesty and medical clarity, his story reflects how meaningful change often comes from listening to one’s body and choosing sustainable habits over quick fixes.
