Karan Johar on Fashion, Film & Being Unapologetically Himself | Cover Star | THR India

In this episode of Cover Star, Anupama Chopra sits down with filmmaker Karan Johar for The Hollywood Reporter India's first-ever Style in Cinema issue, presented by St. Regis. Karan takes us on a deeply personal journey through his lifelong obsession with fashion — from his childhood visits to Manish Market with his mother, to his very first interaction with Shah Rukh Khan on the sets of DDLJ where he insisted on swapping Shah Rukh's Wrangler jeans for Levi's. He shares behind-the-scenes stories of sourcing iconic costumes from Fashion Street and children's sections, the legendary 300-pound Harley-Davidson leather jacket decision, and how he and costume designer Manish Malhotra shaped the visual language of films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.

Karan also dives into the broader relationship between Bollywood and fashion, pushing back on designer Rajesh Pratap Singh's claim that cinema has stunted Indian fashion, arguing instead that films have been the single most powerful force shaping pop culture style in India — from Mumtaz's iconic orange sari in Brahmachari to Madhuri Dixit's purple sari in Hum Aapke Hain Koun to Kareena Kapoor's Poo look in K3G. He opens up about his personal style evolution — from maximalist sequins in his 40s to quiet luxury in his 50s, partly inspired by his twins Yash and Roohi becoming his in-house fashion critics. Karan also shares his thoughts on Instagram's impact on fashion, the absurdity of price breakdowns, the cookie-cutter celebrity styling culture, and why authenticity always wins — praising stars like Ajay Devgn, Sonam Kapoor, Rekha, and Gulzar for staying true to themselves.