Karan Johar recalls taking classes to 'sound like a man'
What's the story
Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar recently opened up about his childhood trauma in a conversation with Sania Mirza for Myntra's Glam Stream. He spoke about his struggles with body image, bullying, and self-worth that have influenced his parenting style. "Fifty percent of me is scarred from my childhood... I'm paranoid that my kids will put on weight," he confessed.
Bullying and intimacy
Struggles with bullying throughout childhood
Johar revealed how he was bullied for being "feminine" as a child. He said, "When other boys played sports, I took cookery classes and learned flower arrangement." "During a public speaking course, the trainer told me I had a feminine personality and that the world was tough." "On his advice, I took voice training for three years to 'sound like a man.' I even took classes to change the way I walked and ran."
Parenting fears
Johar's overprotective parenting
Johar revealed that his own experiences of being a plus-sized child have made him overprotective about his twins, Yash and Roohi. "I keep telling them, 'Don't eat sugar." "Dadda ate a lot of sugar and he suffered.' When they skip a sport or bunk football, I get angry because no one pushed me back then," he shared.
Body dysmorphia
Toxic relationship with food
Johar also opened up about his toxic relationship with food, which he used as a solace during emotional pain. "Whenever I went through emotional pain as a child, food was my solace... But when I realized what it was doing to my body, I developed a toxic relationship with it." He also spoke candidly about intimacy struggles, saying, "People assume I must have an amazing sex life because I am a public figure...but truth is I have very low self-esteem."
Self-acceptance
Progress in self-acceptance
Despite his struggles, Johar has made progress in accepting himself. He shared how he wore shorts on a recent vacation to Italy and posted a picture, something he wouldn't have done before. He also spoke about societal pressures, saying, "We tell our sons, 'Don't cry like a girl,' or that pink is not for boys." "I hate that. I keep telling people... if you're gifting something girly, send it for both my kids."