Manish Malhotra jabs Karan Johar over uncredited hard work on Dharma films: “I work hard day and night especially for your films”

October 24, 2025 - 1:19 PM IST

Karan Johar’s latest show, Pitch To Get Rich, streaming now on JioHotstar, has brought some entertaining moments to the forefront, especially between the filmmaker and fashion designer Manish Malhotra. The show features fashion-focused businesses pitching their ideas to a panel of “permanent angels,” which includes Malaika Arora, Manish Malhotra, Karan Johar, and entrepreneurs Darpan Sanghvi and Dhruv Sharma.

Manish Malhotra jabs Karan Johar over uncredited hard work on Dharma films: “I work hard day and night especially for your films”

In one episode, Karan Johar emphasized to a contestant that hard work alone wouldn’t earn him brownie points, stating, “Everyone works hard. In this country, we overdo it. So no points for sincerity and hard work from me that’s basic.” This prompted Manish Malhotra to playfully call out the filmmaker on their longstanding collaboration.

“Karan, you never gave me credit for that either, even though I work hard day and night especially for your films,” Manish quipped. Karan, in turn, responded humorously, “I have seen your price tags you are well-compensated for that hard work! And your turnover is…”

The exchange highlighted the friendly banter between the two, who have shared a bond spanning over three decades. Manish first met Karan while working on the 1993 film Gumrah, produced by Karan’s father, Yash Johar. Since then, the designer has collaborated on several KJo films, and their relationship has grown into a familial friendship.

Manish recounted to We Are Yuvaa, “I’ll tell you how I met him. Sridevi called me for Gumrah, which was produced by Yash Johar ji, and on set was where I met Karan. And then, whenever I used to call Yash ji with questions, Karan would pick up the phone. I would just say, ‘Can I speak with Yash ji?’”

He added, “One day, he just told me, ‘You never say hi’. And I said, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. Hi Karan, how are you? Can I speak to Yash ji?’ So it became like that. And then I met him a couple of times on set, and one night we decided to go out for dinner, and we chatted at that time. That’s how we became friends.”

Despite their camaraderie, Manish admitted that working with Karan over the years hasn’t always been easy. “That’s a difficult thing. For friends to work together for that many years, it’s very rare. Because Karan is Karan Johar, and not a lot of people would be comfortable telling him if something doesn’t work.”

However, he also praised Karan’s warmth, calling their friendship “honest” and reflecting the deep bond they’ve nurtured over decades.

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