Film maker Karan Johar has spoken candidly about raising her twins and the emotional toll of social media trolling. In a recent interview, Johar reflected on his children’s parents, Yash Johar and Roohi Johar, and how some online comments affected her deeply.
“That comment broke my heart”
Karan revealed that while he has learned to deal with criticism over the years, one particular note about his parents surprised him.“There was a comment that said, ‘Do you realize you’ve denied your children a mother?’ That broke my heart. It made me question my decision to be a single parent,” she told Barkha Dutt in Mojo Story.The filmmaker remembers that this note moved him. “I read that comment in the morning and I cried,” he admitted.However, a simple moment with her children soon reassured her of her decision.“I walked into my children’s room. They were about five years old. I asked them, ‘Are you happy?’ They said, ‘Yes, because you are our father.’ That answered my question,” shared Karan.
“Your instinct is your superhero”
Karan, who welcomed his twins through surrogacy in 2017, said that he always had strong fatherly instincts but initially waited for love in his life before becoming a parent.“I always had strong paternal and maternal instincts. I waited for a long time for love to happen. But I realized you can’t wait forever,” she said.In the end, he decided to follow his instincts. “With medical and legal help, Yash and Roohi came into my life when I was 44,” added the filmmaker.Karan also shared that he consciously chose not to rely on parenting manuals. “The first thing I did was read parenting books or listen to podcasts. Your instincts are your superhero. No one can tell you how to parent your child,” he explained.
“Don’t raise children with stereotypes”
The filmmaker also spoke about the importance of raising children without rigid gender stereotypes.“It starts with simple things. Don’t say ‘don’t cry like a girl’. Everyone has the right to cry,” he said.Karan added that he makes a conscious effort not to assign gendered activities or colors. “Don’t buy pink for girls and blue for boys. My daughter plays soccer, my son dances. They both do taekwondo, jazz ballet and sports together,” he said.
Learning how to deal with trolling
Reflecting on the social media criticism, Karan said that he has gone through different phases when dealing with trolls.“I went from anger to indifference to amusement,” she said, adding that sometimes the comments are so creative that she wishes she could use the same energy for something more productive.Despite the criticism, the filmmaker said he continues to focus on his family and work, adding that parenting his twins remains one of the most fulfilling roles in his life.
