Karan Johar candidly acknowledges creative error in 'OK Jaanu' despite strong cast and direction

In a candid conversation on the Jay Shetty podcast, filmmaker Karan Johar revisited a creative decision that still lingers in his mind—his choice to remake Mani Ratnam’s O Kadhal Kanmani into OK Jaanu. The 2017 Hindi remake, starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor, failed to live up to the expectations, both critically and commercially. Karan admitted he went ahead with the film despite a clear feeling that it wasn’t the right step. “My instinct told me I shouldn’t do it, and I did it. And that’s when I realised I should listen to my instinct. I have gone wrong,” he said.

At the time, Aditya and Shraddha were riding high on the success of Aashiqui 2. The film came to Karan with a ready plan—experienced director Shaad Ali, a successful lead pair, and the strong emotional core of Mani Ratnam’s original. But something felt off. “Somewhere, the magic of the original we couldn’t recapture,” he reflected.

Despite the hype, OK Jaanu earned just Rs 39.3 crore at the box office against a reported budget of Rs 27 crore, and the reviews were largely unfavourable. Karan clarified that no individual was at fault. “Everyone did their job well. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t the right move and I didn’t act on it,” he said.

He also discussed how intuition has shaped much of his career. Whether it was supporting first-time directors like Ayan Mukerji or Shakun Batra, or recognising new talent, Karan has often relied on gut instinct. “Instincts are our superpowers. And when we don’t listen to them, we’re failing that power,” he told Shetty. Reflecting on his journey, Karan added, “Every failure of mine is as special to me as success.” But he also admitted, “Even today, I sometimes don’t listen to my instincts. And when I don’t, I go wrong. It’s a mistake I keep making.”