"Shame on you", "Ready to be assaulted": KJO recalls the backlash on KANK’s controversial 20-year journey

Twenty years after Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (KANK) released, Karan Johar has revisited the film, its controversial subject and the strong reactions it sparked. Marking two decades of the 2006 romantic drama, the filmmaker shared a long and deeply personal note on social media, recalling everything from an awkward cinema experience to a stranger confronting him after watching the film. He also reflected on why he believes the film continues to find meaning with audiences even today.

Karan Johar recalls the night before KANK released

Karan revealed that he quietly attended a paid preview of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna a night before its theatrical release. Sitting behind a traditionally dressed middle-aged couple, he noticed their reactions change dramatically during the scene where Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji’s characters, Dev and Maya, give in to their attraction inside a hotel elevator.

The woman reportedly dropped her popcorn in shock, while her husband turned around and said in Gujarati, “Dream sequence che!” When he realised the scene was not a dream, he became upset and signalled that they should leave. The couple walked out, leaving Karan with mixed emotions.

Things became even more uncomfortable outside the theatre. A woman approached him with her crying daughter and asked if he was Karan Johar. After he admitted that he was, she criticised him for making a film about infidelity when she had taken her daughter to watch what she expected to be a happy family entertainer.

From ‘brave’ to ‘anti-sanskaari’: KANK divided audiences

Karan said the film received sharply different responses after its release. While some called it brave and among his best work, others accused it of attacking traditional family values. He recalled another unusual encounter at an airport lounge, where a woman told him she had loved the film but had lied to her husband and claimed she hated it.

According to Karan, KANK was far from perfect. He admitted that the film was excessively grand and included elaborate songs that were not always necessary. Yet, he maintained that its emotional core was sincere.

The filmmaker also clarified that his intention was never to glorify infidelity. Instead, he wanted to explore what happens when people cross the boundaries of marriage in search of love, companionship or desire, and how those choices can affect families and relationships.

KANK may have been ahead of its time

Looking back two decades later, Karan feels the film struck a difficult nerve. He believes society often avoids uncomfortable conversations about relationships, especially when those realities are presented through popular stars in mainstream cinema.

Karan noted that many people now tell him they could not understand or relate to the film when it released but see it differently today. Perhaps, he suggested, life changes the way people interpret stories.

As KANK completes 20 years, Karan expressed gratitude towards its cast and crew, including Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Preity Zinta and the entire team. For a film that was once intensely debated and criticised, its continued ability to spark conversations may ultimately be one of its biggest legacies.