Karan Johar admits working with Saroj Khan on Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge left him traumatised: ‘She never liked me’

Filmmaker Karan Johar once found himself on the receiving end of Saroj Khan’s temper while working on Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol’s iconic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Karan revealed that she scolded him in front of the entire crew, admitting that he was left traumatised by the experience.

The trouble started when the production suddenly ran short of red scarves meant for the background dancers, with Karan sharing it was a demand given to him at the last minute.

Faced with more dancers than fabric, Karan came up with a quick fix to tackle the situation. He said, “I, to save the situation, went to Jojo, Saroj ji’s assistant, and very cleverly said, you know, Jojo, I think accha lagega (it will look good), unko bolo, apna ek haath pocket mein rakho (tell them to keep one hand in their pockets), stylish lagega, cool lagega (it will look cool, it will look stylish). Because I didn’t have any more cloth.”

Karan’s solution” seemed to work until Saroj Khan walked in. The filmmaker recalled that the late choreographer immediately sensed something was off. Once she realised who was behind it, she scolded Karan in front of the entire crew on set.

Looking back, Karan said, “She literally pushed me. She said, ‘Tu jahaan jaana chaahe, ja, Goregaon ja, laal kapda la, warna main shoot nahi karungi (Go wherever you need to go, go to Goregaon, bring the red cloth, otherwise I will not shoot)’. I still remember the visual of us running on the streets of Goregaon saying, ‘laal kapda! Laal kapda! (Red cloth! Red cloth!). I was scared for my life. I was traumatised, traumatised, you know, and she was really scary. Like, she was the best. She somehow did not like me. She never liked me.”

Saroj Khan died at the age of 71 on July 3, 2020 after suffering a cardiac arrest. She was admitted to Mumbai’s Guru Nanak Hospital a month prior to her death after complaining of breathing issues.

Next, the filmmaker has Nagzilla, starring Kartik Aaryan, and Chand Mera Dil, featuring Lakshya and Ananya Panday, in the pipeline. Nagzilla is a supernatural high-fantasy comedy-drama backed by Dharma Productions and directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba. The film is scheduled for release in August this year. Chand Mera Dil, on the other hand, is a romantic drama slated to release on April 10, 2026.

Karan’s home production Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, was selected as India’s entry for the Oscars last year. Even after making it to the shortlist, the film faltered at the final hurdle.