Karan Johar reveals father Yash Johar left an 11-page letter for him to take over Dharma Productions: “He just knew I was unequipped to handle anything”
Filmmaker Karan Johar recently opened up about one of the most profound moments in his life – the passing of his father, legendary producer Yash Johar – and the legacy he left behind in the form of a deeply practical yet emotional 11-page letter. Speaking on Bhaavesh Gandhi’s YouTube talk show Soul Safar With Bhaav, the Dharma Productions head got candid about his father’s final gift to him, which changed the course of his life.
Johar revealed that until his father’s passing in 2004, he had lived a sheltered life, describing himself as “effeminate,” “overweight,” and “mollycoddled” by his parents. “My dad indulged me, spoiled me, did everything for me,” he said, adding that he never had to manage his own finances or responsibilities. “Till age 31, I didn’t have a credit card. He would give me money, even when I travelled. I knew nothing. I had not seen one account, one book. Nothing.”
However, everything changed after Yash Johar passed away. Karan recalled how a family friend handed him an envelope during the prayer ceremony. Inside was an 11-page handwritten letter from his father — not a farewell note, but a carefully crafted guidebook to life.
“It wasn’t an emotional letter. It was ‘Dear Karan’ — and in it, he detailed accounts, numbers, people I should trust, people I shouldn’t, those I could do without in the office, and ones I should never associate with. He even wrote about what should never go public and what not to do,” Karan said, describing the letter as his “manual” for life.
What stood out most was Yash Johar’s foresight and understanding of his son’s limitations at the time. “He just didn’t write a goodbye letter. No emotional ‘take care of mom’ – he knew I would anyway. He knew who I was and what I was going to be to my mother,” Karan reflected. “He just knew I was unequipped to handle anything. But he did want me.”
Describing the letter as a turning point, Johar said it helped him take charge of Dharma Productions and shape it into the successful studio it is today. “It became my Bible, my manual, my life lesson — everything,” he shared.
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