Picture this: Shah Rukh Khan’s suite, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio walk in, and Karan Johar, usually the epitome of cool, is reduced to a bundle of nerves.
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Karan Johar x Martin Scorsese: In a twist straight out of a movie plot, Karan Johar is living a dream he didn’t even dare to dream.
Imagine this: a film produced by Dharma Productions, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan (of ‘Masaan’ fame), premieres at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, receives a roaring nine-minute standing ovation, ‘and’ has none other than Martin Scorsese listed as an executive producer. That’s not just major, it’s ‘mind-blowing’.
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Even Karan Johar can’t believe it. “If someone had told me this would happen, I would’ve asked them what they were smoking,” he said, laughing, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India. “To have my name next to Martin Scorsese’s on a poster? I can now die and go to heaven—or hell, depending on who lets me in.”
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The film in question is ‘Homebound’, showcased in the Un Certain Regard section at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Ghaywan, known for his emotionally rich and socially conscious storytelling, the film has already created waves with critics and audiences alike, earning a rare and thunderous nine-minute ovation.
But for Karan Johar, the real “pinch me” moment is involvement of Martin Scorsese.
And no, they didn’t just slap the Oscar-winner’s name on for flair. Scorsese actually came on board as an executive producer, which is almost unheard of for an Indian film at Cannes, especially one under the Dharma banner, known more for its glamorous musicals and family dramas than festival darlings.
The full-circle moment is even more surreal when Karan recalls the ‘only’ time he met Scorsese over a decade ago, in Berlin.
The meeting? Pure Bollywood-meets-Hollywood magic. Picture this: Shah Rukh Khan’s suite, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio walk in, and Karan Johar, usually the epitome of cool, is reduced to a bundle of nerves.
“They were there for ‘Shutter Island’, and I was just…watching,” Karan shared. “Scorsese was talking to Shah Rukh about archiving Indian cinema. I couldn’t say much—I was just a fan soaking it all in. I remember wondering if I’d ever get to talk to him about films. And now? I haven’t had that chat yet, but I’ve got a film credit ‘with him’. That’s way bigger.”
And of course, Karan can’t mention a life-altering moment without giving credit to his longtime friend and lucky charm, Shah Rukh Khan. “Everything good in my life somehow traces back to him,” he says fondly.
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