Karan Johar reveals he took voice training to ‘sound like a man’ after being bullied; recalls battling body dysmorphia and childhood bullying while raising his twins

Bollywood’s celebrated filmmaker and head of Dharma Productions, Karan Johar, recently shared poignant insights about the emotional scars from his childhood and how they continue to influence his approach to parenting his twins, Yash and Roohi. Speaking candidly in a conversation with Sania Mirza for Myntra’s Glam Stream, Karan revealed his early struggles with body image, bullying, and a persistent sense of “not belonging” due to being labeled as “feminine.”

 

Karan Johar reveals he took voice training to ‘sound like a man’ after being bullied; recalls battling body dysmorphia and childhood bullying while raising his twins

 

Reflecting on his younger days, Karan said, “I was a plus-sized kid, and though I was allowed to be happy, I can’t imagine how hard it must be for kids like me today. Children—and even adults—can be ruthless. It’s a toxic, unfortunate time.” He recalled being different from other boys in school and yearning to be accepted: “I wanted to be part of the football team. I wanted to play cricket with the boys. But nobody chose me because I wasn’t good enough. You know, I wasn’t sporty enough. I was not boy enough or man enough.”

 

To cope with the constant teasing and alienation, Karan underwent rigorous efforts to change how he was perceived. “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.” He confessed that he hid these struggles from his father, claiming he was learning computer skills instead, too ashamed to explain the truth at the time.

 

Karan also spoke candidly about battling body dysmorphia and low self-esteem as an adult: “I am not comfortable in my own skin. Even today, with some weight gone, I’m only 10% more at ease. Deep inside, I’ll always be that plus-sized boy.” He recounted how food, once a comfort, became an enemy, sharing an emotional anecdote about a scene from Dil Dhadakne Do that touched him deeply.

 

His fears extend to his children growing up in a social media-dominant era where image anxiety is rampant. “I get angry when my kids eat sugar. 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.” Karan’s parenting approach is shaped by the unresolved wounds of his childhood.

 

Despite loving parents, Karan revealed how early expressions of pain were often dismissed: “The trauma comes from how people make you feel about yourself. I was called names like ‘fatty,’ and every time I told my parents, they brushed it aside. My dad said it was just puppy fat, and my mother stayed silent. I cried a lot. She loved me deeply, but sometimes love isn’t enough — I needed someone to help me understand what I was going through.”

 

Through his unfiltered sharing, Karan Johar shines a light on the complexities of growing up different in a conformist world.

 

Also Read: Karan Johar reflects on life without a partner; says, “You feel the loneliest in your highs”

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