Karan Johar’s Instagram bio, which reads “A father and then a filmmaker”, clearly reflects how devoted he is to the responsibility of single parenthood. Karan’s work as a director has given us timeless classics like ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ and ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’. In 2017, he embarked on the beautiful journey to becoming a single parent with the help of surrogacy, a decision that stirred many speculations at that time. 

Karan Johar As A Father

From an extraordinary filmmaker to an extraordinary father, KJo’s life as a single parent has not been as easy as one might think.  He feels paranoid at times and he does not hesitate to speak openly about it. In an interview with The Week, he said that he expressed the desire to start a family to his mother, who supported him throughout. He further added that he was in his 40s and marriage was out of the horizon, which is why he decided to go for surrogacy. 

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How fatherhood changed Karan’s life

Karan, who found himself being targeted by online trolls, was amazed to see the kind of love and positivity that was showered upon his kids. “I am used to online trolling, but surprisingly, my kids were met with so much love,” he shared in one of his interviews. “Even now, when I put up anything about them, there is not a single negative comment”, he further added. Karan has also been vocal about how parenthood has changed him and how his kids have become a source of inspiration for him, to create a legacy that they are proud of. 

Challenges Karan Faces As A Single Father

Karan’s mother Hiroo Johar helps him raise his kids and has been extremely supportive throughout. However, it has not been easy for him lately. Karan, in a recent interview with Faye D’Souza, revealed how his kids are curious about their mom. He said, “ Now, I am also dealing with questions like ‘whose stomach was I born in? But mumma is not mumma really, she is my grandmother’”. He further added, “I am going to school, to the counsellor, to ask how do we navigate the situation. And it is not easy, being a parent is never easy.”

Karan also revealed that he feels that he is unfair sometimes as he lets his insecurities and paranoia win. “I'm really struggling with saying insensitive stuff to my own children. And it came out, and I'm deeply, deeply apologetic to my child. I said, ‘Yash, you’ve put on weight.' I said it this time, we were on a holiday. I went into my room and said, ‘Why did you do this!’ Then I went outside, hugged him, and said, ‘I’m really sorry, please eat what you want',” Karan said. He believes that he reacted like that because he was himself an overweight kid and he struggled with it for years. 

Parenting is a learning journey and a unique one for each parent.  How about being conscious of our inner parenting voice and not trying to be perfect? After all, parents’ actions and speech become a child’s inner voice for life. So, just like Karan, if you are also exploring the ups and downs of parenthood, it's human.