Radha
A Rajasthani style painting of Radha.
Devanagari	राधा
Sanskrit Transliteration	Rādhā
Tamil script	Radaa

Radha (Devanagari: राधा, IAST: Rādhā), also called Radhika, Radharani and Radhikarani, is the childhood friend and lover of Krishna in the Bhagavata Purana, and the Gita Govinda of the Vaisnava traditions of Hinduism.^[1] Radha is almost always depicted alongside Krishna and features prominently within the theology of today's Gaudiya Vaishnava sect, which regards Radha as the original Goddess or Shakti. Radha is also the principal object of worship in the Nimbarka Sampradaya, as Nimbarka, the founder of the tradition, declared that Radha and Krishna together constitute the absolute truth.^[2] Radha's relationship with Krishna is given in further detail within texts such as the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Garga Samhita and Brihad Gautamiya tantra.

Radha is often referred to as Rādhārānī or "Radhika" in speech, prefixed with the respectful term 'Srimati' by devout followers.^[3][4][5]

Radha the Gopi[link]

Brooklyn Museum - Radha Pining for Her Beloved Page from a dated Rasikapriya Series

In the story of Krishna, as told in the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana, he spends much of his childhood in the company of young cow-herd girls, called Gopis in the village of Vrindavan. Krishna left his native place at the age of twelve for study at gurukul .The Mahabharata does not describe Krishna's earlier life in Vrindavan in much detail, and focuses more on the later battle of Kurukshetra but within the Bhagavata Purana the child-hood pastimes of Krishna are described very vividly. Within the Bhagavata Purana, Radha is not mentioned by name but is alluded to within the tenth chapter of the text as one of the gopis whom Krishna plays with during his upbringing as a young boy. Krishna left Vrindavan for Mathura at the age of 10 years and 7 months according to Bhagavata Purana.^[6] So Radha is assumed to be also 10 years old or less when Krishna left Vrindavan. It is in later texts such as the Gita Govinda where we find the story of Radha given in more detail.

Within Vaishnavism[link]

Radha with Krishna, as painted by Raja Ravi Varma

Krishna and Radha Seated on a Terrace - Brooklyn Museum

In the Vaishnava devotional or bhakti traditions of Hinduism that focus on Krishna, Radha is Krishna's friend and advisor. For some of the adherents of these traditions, her importance approaches or even exceeds that of Krishna. She is considered to be his original shakti, the supreme goddess in both the Nimbarka Sampradaya and following the advent of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also within the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. Other gopis are usually considered to be her maidservants, with Radha having the prominent position of Krishna's favour "Among the eternal associates of the Lord the gopis are the most exhalted, and among the gopis Srimati Radharani is the best. It has been mentioned in the narration of the Skanda Purana that out of many thousands of gopis, 16,000 are prominent. Out of these, 108 are important, and out of 108, eight are principal. Out of eight gopis, Radharani and Candravali are chief, and out of these two Srimati Radharani is superior."^[7]

Her connection to Krishna is of two types: svakiya-rasa (married relationship) and parakiya-rasa (a relationship signified with eternal mental "love"). The Gaudiya tradition focuses upon parakiya-rasa as the highest form of love, wherein Radha and Krishna share thoughts even through separation. The love the gopis feel for Krishna is also described in this esoteric manner as the highest platform of spontaneous love of God, and not of a sexual nature.

Proponents of the Gaudiya and Nimbarka schools of Vaishnavism give the highly esoteric nature of Radha's relationship to Krishna as the reason why her story is not mentioned in detail in the other Puranic texts.^[8]

Birth[link]

Radha was the daughter of Vrishbhanu Gurjar who was king Suchandra in his previous life. Suchandra and his wife had acquired a boon from Brahmaji that in the Dwapar age Shri Laxmi will be born as a daughter to them in the form of Radha. King Suchendra and Queen Kalavati only were reborn as Vrishbhanu and Kirtikumari and Laxmiji was incarnated as Radha.

It is said^{[citation needed]} that at Radha’s birth, Devarshi Narad himself went and met Vrishbhanu and informed him, “This girl’s beauty and nature is divine. All the houses, wherever her footprints are, Lord Narayan with all other deities will reside. Nurture this girl thinking her to be a Goddess.” According to Naradji’s advice, Vrishbhanu nurtured Radha with great love and care. Nandbaba who lived in the nearby village was friends with Vrishbanu. Once during the festival of Holi; Vrishbanu went to Gokul to meet Nandrai. At Nandrai and Yashoda’s house Krishna (who was growing up as their son) met Radha. Their union was divine, phenomenal and incessant^{[citation needed]}. This meeting was Radha and Krishna’s first meeting which became eternal.^{[citation needed]}

Radha’s love towards Krishna in the terrestrial or customary meaning is not just the relation between a man and woman. The feeling of this love is divine and phenomenal which gives this love a pious form. The philosophical side of this reduces the distance of the support and supportive, also the difference between the worshipper and worshipful is not there. Krishna is the life of Vraj; Radha is the soul of Krishna. That is why, it is said, “Atma Tu Radhika Tasya” (Radha, you are His soul). One form of Radha is, she is a devotee, worshipper of Krishna and in the second form she is the worshipful, devoted by Krishna. ‘Aradhyate Asau itii Radha.’ Radha – Krishna’s love is the symbol of the feeling of being united. When two souls are united, the difference of the other or the second vanishes.Her father Vrsabhanu was the king of cowherds Gop. Vrsabhanu was a partial incarnation of Lord Narayana while her mother Kalavati was a partial incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.

Her worship is especially prominent in Vrindavan, the place where Krishna is said to have lived. Wherein Her importance surpasses even the importance of Krishna. Radha's love for Krishna is held within Gaudiya Vaishnavism as the most perfect primarily because of its endless and unconditional nature. Thus she is the most important friend of Krishna, 'His heart and soul', and His 'hladini-shakti' (mental companion potency).

In the Brihad-Gautamiya Tantra, Radharani is described as follows: "The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord."

Nimbarka[link]

Nimbarka was the first Vaishnava acharya to disseminate teachings about Radha.^[9][10]

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu[link]

The Bengali saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) is believed by many (see especially the modern-day ISKCON movement) to be an incarnation of both Radha and Krishna, simultaneously in one form. Throughout his life, Chaitanya lived as a devotee of Vaishnava tradition, not openly claiming to be any form of Avatar, but in his biographies it is claimed that he revealed his divine form to some of his closer associates.^[11]

Names & Worship[link]

Radha has many epithets describing her qualities and characteristics.

• Radhika - This is the most common epithet, meaning she whose worship of the Krishna is all powerful. She who embodies supreme focus and mental clarity. The incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi. Beauty, intelligence, and good fortuned one.
• Gandharvi - Expert singer^[12]
• Govinda-nandini - She who gives happiness to Govinda (Krishna)
• Govinda-mohini - She who mystifies Govinda
• Govinda-sarvasva - One to whom Govinda is the all-in-all, or everything.
• Sarva-kanta Shiromani - The crown jewel of all Krishna's consorts
• Krishnamayi - The one who sees Krishna both within and without
• Madan-Mohan-Mohini - Within Gaudiya tradition Krishna (as the Supreme Person) is believed to be the enchanter of all living beings, including even Kamadeva (Madan) - The god of attraction. Because Radha has the unique position of being able to enchant even Krishna she is therefore known as Madan-Mohan-Mohini: the enchanter of the enchanter of Cupid.
• Aradhana - The root name of Radharani, meaning one who excels in worshiping Krishna
• Sarva-lakshmi - The original source of all the goddesses of fortune
• Vrshabhanu-nandini - Daughter of Vrishabanu
• Vrshabhanu-suta - Daughter of Vrishabanu
• Vrshabhanu-Dulari - loving daughter of Vrishabanu
• Vrndavaneshvari - Queen of Vrindavana
• Lalita-Sakhi - Friend of the gopi Lalita
• Gokula-Taruni - She whom all young girls of Gokul worship
• Damodara Rati - She who dresses herself to please Damodara (Krishna)
• Radharani – Radha the queen
• RadhaKrishna - Krishna Himself in the form of Radha (Worship of Krishna with Radha)
• Vrajrani - Queen of Vraj ( Krishna being the king)
• Swaminiji- The companion of Krishna
• Karika_Mix form of Krishna and Radha; Verse; Reborn
• Ramika_Reborn; New Face; Modern
• Sakalepsitdaatri- She fulfills all desires of her devotees.
• Raaseshwari - The goddess of raas (folk-dance).
• Sarveshwari - The one who is goddess of all.
• Raj- Rajeshwari - The goddess of god.
• Ladali - The beloved.
• Barsaane Wali - The one who lives at Barsaana.
• Krishna-Priya - beloved of lord Krishna.
• Haridaas-Dulari - beloved of swami Haridas

One of her names, Hara (mentioned in Narada-pancaratra 5.5.59), in vocative Hare, forms a part of the Hare Krishna 'Maha-Mantra', one of the most popular Vedic mantras, especially amongst Gaudiya Vaishnavas. Radharani's names hold a place of prime importance within Gaudiya Vaishnava religious practices.

View Complete Namavali with essence of each name of Radharani -100 auspicious names in IPA Sanskrit.

Temples dedicated to Radha[link]

• Barsana and Vrindavan in Mathura District, Northern India contain a large number of temples dedicated to both Radha and Krishna, including the Radhavallabh Temple.^[13]
• The Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani Temple at Radha Madhav Dham in Austin, Texas, USA, established by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, is one of the largest Hindu Temple complexes in the Western Hemisphere,^[14] and the largest in North America.^[15][16][17]

Temple Deities in India and abroad are generally named in order of Radharani first and then Krishna. Krishna is approachable through the mercy of Srimati Radharani and no one else. So for example, if one were to enter the Govindaji temple in Vrindavan the Deities are named Radha Govinda and devotees of Krishna would pray to Radha and Govinda not just Krishna. This is because Krishna is controlled by Radharani's love.

Mantras and shloks[link]

• "Radha tu meri swamini , main Radhey ko daas, janam janam mohe dijiye , shri vrindavan ko vaas."
• "Sab Dwaran ko chodd kar , aayo tere dwar, Shri Vrshbhanu-ki-ladali meri aur nihaar."
• "Radha sadhyam, saadhnam yasya radha , Mantro radha mantra daatri ch Radha, Sarvam Radha , jeevanam yasya Radha , Radha radha vaachkin tasya shesham."
• "Radhey tu badbhagini, kaun tapasya kinhi, Teen lok taaran taran, hain radhey tere aadheen."
• "Radhe Jaya Jaya Madhava Dayite, Gokula taruni mandala mahite" By Rupa Gosvami

Quotations about Radha[link]

• "Although the effulgence of the moon is brilliant initially at night, in the daytime it fades away. Similarly, although the lotus is beautiful during the daytime, at night it closes. But, O My friend, the face of My most dear Srimati Radharani is always bright and beautiful, both day and night. Therefore, to what can Her face be compared?" (Vidagdha-madhava 5.20)
• "When Srimati Radharani smiles, waves of joy overtake Her cheeks, and Her arched eyebrows dance like the bow of Cupid. Her glance is so enchanting that it is like a dancing bumblebee, moving unsteadily due to intoxication. That bee has bitten the whorl of My heart." (Vidagdha-madhava 2.51)
• "Just as Srimati Radharani is most dear to Krishna, Her bathing pond is similarly dear. Of all the gopis, She is the most beloved of the Lord." (Padma Purana)
• "The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all attractiveness to attract the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord." (Brihad-gautamiya-tantra)
• "Among all persons, it is Sri Radha in whose company Lord Madhava is especially glorious, as She is especially glorious in His." (Rig-parisishta)
• "Radharani is the source of spiritual inspiration" (A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

See also[link]

• Neela Devi (Nappinnai)
• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
• Gaudiya Vaishnavism
• Hare Krishna (mantra)
• Lakshmi
• Nimbarka Sampradaya
• Rukmini
• Shakti
• Shri Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu
• Sita

Further reading[link]

• Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead (ISBN 0-89213-354-6) by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
• Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Traditions (ISBN 81-208-0379-5) by David Kinsley
• Hawley J.S. & D.M. Wulff (ed.) (1986) The Divine Consort: Radha and the Goddesses of India, Beacon Press, Boston, ISBN 0-8070-1303-X.
• Radha by Krishna Dharabasi, a Nepali novel awarded with Madan Puraskar, Most prestigious literary award.

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Radha

General Information[link]

• Sri Radharani Official Homepage
• Krishna.com: Who Is that Girl with Krishna?
• Sri Radha in detail
• Sri Radha the supreme power Radhavallabh Homepage
• Srimati Radharani - Personality
• Sri Radha's detailed supreme existence

Festivals[link]

• Celebrating Radhastami
• Srimati Radharani's Appearance
• Radhashtami the festival of delight
• Radhashtami Celebration in Vrindavan

Names of Radha[link]

• Sri Radha's name in Bhagavata Purana
• The Names of Srimati Radharani
• Sri Radha rani's 100 essence filled divine names.

Further resources[link]

• Krsna and Radha, Goloka - references
• "Srila Prabhupada's Presentation of Srimati Radharani". http://www.sdgonline.org/radha/radharani_prabhupada.html. 

v t e Hindu deities and texts Gods Deva Ganesha Brahma Vishnu Shiva Rama Krishna Murugan Hanuman Indra Surya more Goddesses Adi parashakti Devi Saraswati Lakshmi Sati Parvati Durga Shakti Kali Sita Radha Mahavidya Navadurga Matrikas more Texts Vedas Upanishads Puranas Ramayana Mahabharata Bhagavad Gita more Hinduism Hindu mythology

Karan Johar
Karan Johar at Fox Star Studios' Press Conference for My Name Is Khan.
Born	Karan Dharma Kama Johar (1972-05-25) 25 May 1972 (age 40) Mumbai, Maharastra, India
Occupation	Actor, Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Costume designer, Television host
Years active	1995–present
Parents	Yash Johar Hiroo Johar

Karan Johar (born 25 May 1972) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, Costume designer and Television host based in Bollywood. He is the son of Hiroo Johar and Yash Johar.^[1][2] He is also the head of the production company Dharma Productions. He is most known for directing and producing some of Bollywood's highest grossing films in India and abroad. The four films he has directed, all starring Shahrukh Khan, have been India's highest grossing productions in the overseas market.^[3] The success of those films resulted in crediting Johar for changing the way Indian cinema has been perceived in the West.^[3]

Johar entered the film industry as an actor in Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. He later made his directorial debut with the highly successful romantic comedy, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai which won him a Filmfare Award For Best Director and Filmfare Best Screenplay Award. His following directorial efforts were the family drama, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) and the romantic drama, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), a movie which dealt with the theme of adultery. Both films were major financial successes in India and abroad. Johar thus established himself as one of the most successful filmmakers in Bollywood.^[4][5] His fourth film, My Name Is Khan (2010) was met with positive reviews and grossed over 2 billion worldwide.^[6] It earned him his second Best Director award at the Filmfare ceremony.

Early life[link]

Karan Johar was born in Mumbai, India to Indian Bollywood film producer Yash Johar, founder of Dharma Productions and Hiroo Johar. He studied at the Greenlawns High School and attended H.R. College of Commerce and Economics, both in Mumbai. He received a Masters degree in French.^[7]

As a child, he was influenced by commercial Indian cinema and he cites Raj Kapoor, Yash Chopra and Sooraj R. Barjatya as his inspirations.^[2][8] For a period of time, Johar followed numerology, creating film titles in which the first word and a number of others in the title began with the letter "K." After watching the 2006 film, Lage Raho Munna Bhai which was critical of numerology, Johar decided to stop this practice.^[9]

Career[link]

Acting and directing[link]

Johar formally entered the film industry as an actor, portraying Raj's (Shahrukh Khan) close friend in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). He was also assistant director on the film and helped director Aditya Chopra in writing the screenplay.^[2] In addition, he selected Shahrukh Khan's costumes, something he continued to do for Shahrukh Khan's other movies like Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Duplicate (1998), Mohabbatein (2000), Main Hoon Na and Veer-Zaara (2004) and Om Shanti Om (2007).^[2]

Johar made his directorial debut at the age of 25 with the cult film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998 which he also wrote the story and screenplay for. Johar first wrote a story about a love triangle between a tomboy, a very pretty looking girl and a slightly insensitive boy but he shelved the idea because he was not satisfied with it. Then he wrote an other plot about a widower and his child. which he shelved as well. Eventually he decided to merge the two stories into one. He explained in an interview with Rediff: "It was about the trauma of a widower and his little child. How the child really wants a mother and how she brings her mother into her father's life. Then I thought: Why not bring an youth aspect to the story? Why not a flashback? That's how the story got made." ^[10] Starring Shahrukh Khan, Kajol and Rani Mukerji, the film was well received by critics and audience alike. It won a National awards, eight Filmfare Awards in 1998 including Best Movie, Best Director and all four Best Actor awards for both leading and supporting roles.^[2][11] It was also the highest grossing Indian movie of the year in India and abroad and was declared an all time blockbuster by Box Office India.^[12]

Johar with Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, with whom he forms the famous trio of Indian cinema

Johar's second directorial effort was the family drama, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, released in 2001. It featured an ensemble star-cast that included Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan. It was the fifth film to star Khan and Kajol and their last together in the decade until their next cast, again by Johar, in 2010. Johar stated that he make the film because of his desire to create a saga like Yash Chopra's Kabhi Kabhie which dealt with parent-child relationships.^[13] He also added that "The posters of all those big stars glittering on a banner had entranced me in childhood. I said one day I will make a film with big stars standing together in one frame. I integrated both ideas in K3G."^[13] The film was a major financial success and became India's second highest-grossing film of the year and one of the biggest Bollywood success of all time in the overseas market, earning over 1 billion worldwide.^[14] Box Office India called it "one of the true Worldwide blockbusters of Hindi cinema".^[15] It was also critically well received, winning five Filmfare Awards.^[16]

In May 2005, after taking a four-year break from directing, Johar began working on his third film as a director and fourth film as writer; Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, (Never Say Goodbye). With an ensemble cast including Shahrukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji and Kirron Kher. The film told the story of two unhappily married couples in New York, which later results in an extramarital affair. On its release in 11 August 2006, the film received generally mixed reviews because it dealt with themes that were considered taboo in the Indian society. Johar, in an interview with CNN-IBN clarified: "When it’s called a film about adultery and infidelity, I’d like to say that it has not been treated frivolously at all. There is a lot of dignity and intensity given to the plot, even though it deals with slightly gray areas of life (...) Though this one treads on gray areas, it never veers towards the black."^[17] The film however, opened to strong box office numbers and became the sixth highest grossing film of the year in India and the highest grossing overseas film of all time.^[18][19] It grossed over 1.13 billion worldwide.^[14]

Although the content of the film was deemed controversial, Johar's work as director and writer was applauded, Rajeev Masand noted: "Few writers have such solid control over their screenplay as Karan Johar does. Few understand the intricacies of narrative as well as he does. Johar goes from highs to lows, from plateaus to peaks with the ease of a pro. He knows exactly how to turn a seemingly ordinary scene into something special with just that one line of dialogue, or that hint of background music."^[20] And Taran Adarsh added: "In a nutshell, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna bears the unmistakable stamp of a genius -- Karan Johar. The master storyteller only polishes his skills further, proving yet again that he's a forward-thinker and also, a progressive storyteller."^[21] The film was shown at the Tokyo International Film Festival and its script was invited to be included in the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^[22] It was eventually nominated for ten Filmfare awards, including Best Director and Best Film.

In November 2009, Johar ended shooting for his film My Name Is Khan starring Shahrukh Khan and Kajol Devgan, reuniting them after eight years. The film debuted in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on 10 February 2010. It was also screened as part of the 60th Berlin International Film Festival's official selection the same month.^[23] Critics noted that with the film, Johar has broken away from his typical style of film making - lavish sets, filmi songs and dance sequences and designer cloths.^[24][25] The filmmaker himself confirmed that, stating: "in all my 11 years as a filmmaker I’ve never felt the experience to be so different. The content of My Name Is Khan is diametrically opposite to whatever I’ve done in the past."^[26] There were also discussion about its content, which was "serious" and "thinking", not a satirical entertainer like his previous films. Speaking about the film, he said in an interview with Bollywood Hungama:"MNIK is an unusual Bollywood film, if at all, and doesn't have those quintessential pre-requisite elements that any Bollywood film has (...) All I can say is that MNIK is going to open windows and doors to many people who have stories to tell and are shy to put their story on the celluloid"^[27] Upon release, the film was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews and strong box office reports; My Name is Khan was the highest-grossing Bollywood film overseas at the time, grosseing over 2 billion worldwide.^[6] Rajeev Masand, in a positive review, noted: "Johar crafts an engaging, stirring saga that is earnest and noble. With this message movie in the mainstream format, the director takes a step in the right direction."^[24] It earned him his second Best Director award at the Filmfare ceremony.

Producer[link]

Dharma Productions, founded by his father, is Johar's production company. He became the main producer of the company after his father's death. In a 2003 interview with The Hindu, he explained his production strategy: "I wanted my production house to walk before running. I need to be streamlined, build my infrastructure. I do want to make all kinds of movies because I have watched all kinds of movies."^[13]

Johar wrote and produced the 2003 film, Kal Ho Naa Ho which was directed by Nikhil Advani. A drama set in New York City, starring Shahrukh Khan, Jaya Bachchan, Preity Zinta and Saif Ali Khan. The film was received favorably by critics and became a box office success in India and the highest grossing film in the overseas that year.^[28] It has won eight Filmfare awards and two National film awards. His 2005 film, Kaal was directed by Soham Shah, Johar's assistant director from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.^[18] He produced two films in 2009, first Ayan Mukerji's coming of age romantic drama Wake Up Sid and the thriller Kurbaan. He is also responsible for the official Hindi-language remake of Stepmom, called We Are Family featuring Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in the lead roles which was shot in Mumbai and Sydney, Australia. When Johar first decided to adapt the movie for an Indian audience, he initially intended to buy the rights to the film but eventually opted to co-produce it with Sony Pictures.^[29] The same year, he co-produced the Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor, starter I Hate Luv Storys with UTV Motion Pictures. The film went on to become a box office hit.^[30]

In an interview with The Times Of India, Johar explained that he had the intention of remaking the 1990 thriller Agneepath which was then produced by his father, because the commercial failure of the film broke his father's heart. The idea of the remake materialized on the sets of his film My Name Is Khan when Johar asked his assistant director Karan Malhotra to revisit it again.^[31] The remake was released in January 2012 to both critical and commercial success. He further produced the 2012 romantic comedy, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. Starring both Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan, the film was met with positive critical reception and moderate box office success.^[32] He will also be producing Dostana 2. and Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani.

Television[link]

In 2004, Johar became the host of the celebrity-based chat show, Koffee with Karan, in which he interviewed renowned celebrities from Bollywood and India's glamour world.^[33] The first season of the shown which began airing on Star TV and Star World on November 19, 2004. The programme was met with huge success and became the first English entertainment show to score a huge rating in India.^[34] The season lasted for twenty five episodes. The show was then put on hold due to Johar's commitment to his directorial project, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna but returned for a second season in February 2007. It was then renewed for a third season which commenced in November 2010 after Johar's fourth film, My Name Is Khan was released.^[33] The show is noted for its fresh and witty appeal, and it is very popular with the younger audiences.

Johar's second television outing was the 2010 show Lift Kara De. The concept of the show was to introduce nineteen of the biggest stars of Bollywood to their biggest fan. The Show choses three fans for a superstar. They will perform a task and who ever gathers more money wins the contests and get the opportunity to meet his idol. The money is then multiplied 500 times by the Show and the star and is used to "lift" a life of a very poor family who is in need. It premiered on January 2010 on Sony TV and ended on May 2010 lasting for 28 episodes.

After the third season of the show concluded, Johar stated in an interview with Mid-Day that he will be taking a long hiatus from the show, explaining: "I'm done with Koffee and my other extra-curricular activities for now. In case people have forgotten, I'm a filmmaker."^[35] He further noted: “We should just leave Koffee With Karan where it is. Instead of doing season four, I’d like the audience to remember me as the host of three unforgettable editions.”^[36] However, in February 2012, he confirmed his return to hosting a fourth edition of the show after being approached by the channel as it has been flooded with requests for the show to come back.^[36] Johar announced that he will start working on the new season after he finishes directing Student Of The Year.^[36] The fourth season will start airing from June and will feature a new format.^[36]

Filmography[link]

Actor

• Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) – Rocky
• Main Hoon Na (2004) – Credits
• Home Delivery: Aapko... Ghar Tak (2005) – Himself
• Alag (2006) – (himself/voice in the song "Sabse Alag")
• Salaam-e-Ishq (2007) – (himself/voice)
• Om Shanti Om (2007) – (cameo as himself)
• C Kkompany (2008) – (cameo as the Game show host)
• Fashion (2008) – (cameo as himself)
• Luck by Chance (2009) – (cameo as himself)

Awards[link]

National Film Awards[link]

Won

• 1999: National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment (Director) - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Filmfare Awards[link]

Won

• 1999: Best Director - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
• 1999: Best Screenplay – Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
• 2002: Best Dialogue – Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
• 2011: Best Director – My Name Is Khan

Nominated

• 2002: Best Director – Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham
• 2004: Best Movie – Kal Ho Na Ho
• 2008: Best Director – Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
• 2009: Best Movie - Dostana
• 2010: Best Movie - Wake Up Sid

IIFA Awards[link]

Won

• 2001: Best Costume Designer – Mohabbatein
• 2002: Best Dialogue – Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
• 2004: Best Story – Kal Ho Na Ho
• 2011: Best Director - My Name Is Khan

Nominated

• 2002: Best Director – Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
• 2008: Best Director – Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna

Star Screen Awards[link]

Won

• 1999: Best Director – Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
• 2004: Best Screenplay – Kal Ho Naa Ho

Nominated

• 2002: Best Director – Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham
• 2004: Best Movie – Kal Ho Na Ho

Zee Cine Awards[link]

• 1999: Best Director – Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
• 2011: Best Director – My Name Is Khan
• 2011: Best Story – My Name Is Khan^[37]

Honors[link]

• In 2007, Johar was chosen as one of 250 Global Young Leaders by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum 2006.^[38]
• On 30 September 2006, Johar became the first Indian filmmaker to be a jury member in the Miss World competition, in Warsaw, Poland.^[39]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Karan Johar

• My Name Is Karan – Karan Johar's Official Blog
• Karan Johar at the Internet Movie Database