Karan Johar confirms project with Salman Khan on superstar’s 58th birthday

PTI, Dec 27, 2023, 2:12 PM IST

Filmmaker Karan Johar on Wednesday shared a heartwarming note for superstar Salman Khan on his 58th birthday and confirmed that they will be collaborating on an upcoming project. In an Instagram post, Johar shared the story of how Salman became a part of the cast of his directorial debut ”Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”, featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji.

”Twenty-five years ago, I was at a party lost and confused… A massive movie star came up to me and asked me why I was standing by a corner… I told him I had been to several actors for a part but was politely rejected… the superstars sister is close to me so he graciously said she had spoken highly of my script and that I should meet him the next day to narrate the film to him,” Johar recalled.

The 50-year-old director said he never imagined that he would get to narrate the script to the actor.

”I went with a prayer in my heart and a deep desire for a miracle and narrated the first of the film like my life depended on it.. He looked at me at the interval point (by then I was looking like I was at the Sahara desert and water could keep me alive) kindly offered me water and said ‘I’ ‘m on!!!’ ”I was perplexed and said but ‘you are in the second half, you haven’t heard it?’ He said ‘I love your father and my sister will kill me if I don’t do this movie’ and that’s how Salman Khan was in KKHH’,” Johar said.

In the 1998 romantic drama, Salman had an extended cameo as Aman, the fiance of Kajol’s Anjali who graciously lets go of her in the end.

Johar thanked Salman’s Alvira Khan Agnihotri and also credited his father Yash Johar’s goodwill in the industry that helped him cast Salman in the movie.

”Gestures and stories like this just don’t happen today! Happy birthday Salman ! So much love and respect for you always …Also 25 years later we will finally have a story to tell again… not saying any more than that happy happy birthday,” Johar concluded the post.

The filmmaker is yet to share the details of his project with Salman. It is not known if Johar will be directing the project or only serve as a producer.