Mumbai: Karan Johar has opened up about the difficult creative journey behind his 2006 directorial Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, a film that challenged conventional ideas about marriage, relationships and infidelity in mainstream Hindi cinema.
Speaking at the Marrakech International Film Festival during a Conversation Series, Johar reflected on the challenges of making the Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji-led drama. He also recalled his late father, producer Yash Johar, and explained why he believed his father would not have approved of the subject.
Karan Johar was attending the festival in connection with his production Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, and also participated in a gala screening of the film.
Karan Johar says making Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was difficult
According to Johar, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was particularly challenging because it placed a highly recognizable Hindi film hero in a story involving marital infidelity.
The filmmaker recalled the uncertainty surrounding Shah Rukh Khan’s character, Dev Saran, and whether audiences would accept him stepping outside his marriage.
Johar explained that he and Shah Rukh repeatedly discussed how the character could remain relatable despite the controversial nature of his choices.
The director recalled Shah Rukh expressing uncertainty about how to make Dev likeable. Johar said he reminded the actor of the enormous affection audiences had for him and described Shah Rukh as someone associated with love.
The filmmaker said the complicated relationship scenes created challenges for both the actor and director because he himself was uncertain about how best to justify some of the characters’ decisions.
Karan Johar says he refused to avoid the subject of infidelity
Johar also remembered receiving criticism about the film before and around its release.
He recalled an unnamed major film star questioning his decision to put Shah Rukh Khan’s character in a storyline involving an extramarital relationship.
According to Johar’s recollection, the conversation centred on whether portraying infidelity amounted to endorsing it.
Johar said he rejected that argument, explaining that depicting something that exists in society should not automatically be interpreted as supporting it.
The director described Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna as a significant creative leap for him and said he remained grateful that he chose to make the film despite the criticism and uncertainty surrounding it.
Why Yash Johar might not have approved the film
Karan Johar also spoke emotionally about his father, Yash Johar, who died before Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was directed.
Johar described his father as his “moral compass” and characterized him as a traditional and conservative person. He said that, in his view, Yash Johar would probably not have permitted him to make a film dealing with the subject of marital infidelity.
A major factor, Johar suggested, was his father’s admiration for Shah Rukh Khan.
“He held Shah Rukh in the highest esteem,” Johar said while discussing his father’s attitude towards the actor.
Johar explained that after his father’s death, he felt that the person who had served as a source of guidance and restraint was no longer there. He said this gave him the freedom to push beyond boundaries and make the kind of film he wanted to make.
The filmmaker described the experience as part of his own growth, saying he felt more mature by the end of the filmmaking process.
What is Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna about?
Released in August 2006, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna centres on Dev Saran, played by Shah Rukh Khan, and Maya Talwar, portrayed by Rani Mukerji.
Both characters are married but experience dissatisfaction within their respective relationships. Their growing emotional connection eventually develops into an affair, creating a complicated web of guilt, jealousy, emotional conflict and heartbreak.
The film deliberately moved away from the conventional romantic formula commonly associated with mainstream Hindi cinema at the time.
Alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, the cast included Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Kirron Kher in important roles.
A film that continues to invite debate
Although Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna was released nearly two decades ago, its treatment of relationships continues to generate discussion.
The film’s central conflict placed audiences in an uncomfortable position by asking them to engage with characters whose actions did not fit easily into conventional ideas of romantic heroism.
Johar’s latest recollections provide additional insight into the personal and creative considerations that surrounded the project. His comments also highlight how making a mainstream Hindi film about infidelity, particularly with one of the industry’s biggest stars, involved significant uncertainty at the time.
For Johar, however, the experience ultimately became an important stage in his development as a filmmaker.