Ayushmann was a guest on Koffee with Karan in 2018 (courtesy karanjoha)
Strong points
- Social media streams from Ayushmann’s 2015 book
- In the excerpt, he writes about trying to get an audition with Dharma
- “We only work with stars,” he said in Johar’s office.
New Delhi:
The dust refuses to settle around the public anger that erupted on social networks after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, allegedly by suicide. Rumors that he was boycotted by the biggest production companies in the film industry have turned into angry focus on one particular Bollywood insider – filmmaker Karan Johar. As supporting evidence, social media is broadcasting from the 2015 book by actor Ayushmann Khurrana on how he became an actor; in the extract, now viral, the AndhaDhun star recounts his experience of trying to get an audition with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions in 2007 and failing. “We only work with stars,” he reportedly said in Johar’s office.
In his book called Cracking The Code: My Journey In Bollywood, Ayushmann Khurrana reveals that he once interviewed Karan Johar while working as a radio jockey; later, he informed Mr. Johar of his ambition to act and asked for his number, which Mr. Johar gave him. “Karan gave me his desk landline number when I met him. I should have taken a hint here and there. But I was so excited! I even planned exactly when I would call: around 11:30 am, so he would have finished breakfast and be available to speak, “writes Mr. Khurrana.
Things didn’t quite go as planned – Karan Johar’s office obstructed it, reveals Ayushmann Khurrana. “The next day I dialed the number they gave me. They said Karan was not at the office. The next day I called again. They said he was busy. And finally, my bubble burst when the next day they bluntly said to me, “We only work with stars, and we can’t work with you,” “he wrote.
This excerpt has been shared and shared several times as an example of nepotism and the reluctance of Bollywood to let in those who do not belong to a film family or to any inner circle:
This is how Ayushmann khurrana exposed Karanjohar once #JusticeForSushantSinghRajput#karanjohargangpic.twitter.com/KEMubK0zWK
– Brahmin_girl (@ shizuka261) June 16, 2020
The epilogue of this story happened on Karan Johar’s cat Koffee with Karan – a show to which Sushant Singh Rajput was never invited. When he appeared in an episode of 2018 with actor Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann Khurrana told Mr. Johar how Dharma Productions had blocked it years ago despite obtaining Mr. Johar’s number. The producer’s shameless response, “I gave you the right number. It was very kind of me! I must have thought you have potential.”
Ayushmann Khurrana finally made his film debut in the extremely well received production of John Abraham Vicky donor in 2012. He then appeared in films supported by Yash Raj Productions such as Dum Laga Ke Haisha and Meri Pyaari Bindu. Mr. Khurrana won the national award for best actor – to be shared with Vicky Kaushal – for his performance in the famous film of 2018 AndhaDhunot. His latest film Gulabo Sitabo, with also Amitabh Bachchan, is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Karan Johar, who shared a message after Sushant Singh Rajput’s death about how he blamed himself for not being in contact with the actor for a year, has been shredded online. In addition, some industry voices have called Power play and Bollywood camps, referring differently to “bad girls” and “the Bollywood Privilege Club” – while Mr. Johar was not named in these tweets, the connection is easy in some.
Sushant Singh Rajput, 34 years old at his death, lost seven films in six months after the success of his 2019 project Chhichhore, said politician Sanjay Nirupam. The government of Maharashtra has announced that the investigation into his death will also probe reports that professional rivalry has led to depression.
