Renowned filmmaker and producer Karan Johar recently shared his long-standing battle with body image issues and self-acceptance, revealing that his struggles with body shaming began as early as age three. In a candid conversation with journalist Faye D’Souza on her YouTube channel, Johar detailed the deep-seated insecurities that have plagued him since childhood, often leaving him feeling inadequate.
“I felt I failed a lot as a child first. I felt I was failing my parents. I felt I wasn’t the boy that they should have had. I was conditioned to believe that because I was effeminate. I was unlike all the other boys in my school,” Johar recalled.
Throughout his youth, Johar kept his struggles to himself, finding solace in books and movies. One particularly painful memory from a talent competition at age three remains vivid. Johar danced, only to face ridicule from some attendees. “There was this talent competition and everyone was performing, and I danced. I could tell that some people were sneering and laughing and my mother was in the audience. I remember going to the house, closing the door and crying, thinking, ‘Why can’t I be like other boys.’”
In college, Johar confronted additional pressures to conform. To bolster his confidence, he enrolled in voice modulation classes. “I was battling body image issues and joined a public speaking class,” he explained. “A gentleman there told me that I had an effeminate voice and that it wasn’t going to be easy in life for me. He sent me to a class that would bring some kind of baritone in my voice. All this time, I was telling my dad that I was going for computer classes because I didn’t want to tell them that this is what I was going to do.”
Johar also spoke about his ongoing struggles with body dysmorphia, admitting that he still feels uncomfortable in certain situations. “I have body dysmorphia. I am very awkward getting into a pool. I don’t know how to do it without feeling pathetic. I try hard to overcome it. I always wear oversized clothes,” he shared. “Even in moments of intimacy, I put the lights out.”
Johar’s candid revelations shed light on the often-hidden struggles with self-image that many face, emphasizing the importance of self-acceptance and the continuous journey toward overcoming personal insecurities.
