In a recent conversation, Karan Johar opened up about a past experience with one-sided love, revealing the emotional turmoil it caused him. The filmmaker, known for his romantic dramas, shared that he experienced significant pain and anxiety during that period, even describing it as the "worst feeling in the world".
Johar articulated the intense emotions associated with unrequited love, stating, "Pyaar se kambaqt koi cheeze na bani hai na banegi (There is nothing unfortunate than love)". He described the physical manifestations of this emotional distress, including anxiety and difficulty breathing. "You do feel anxiety, you can't breathe," he confessed, highlighting the overwhelming nature of the experience.
He further explained how one-sided love can negatively impact a person's self-perception. "Aap worst version of yourself ban jaate ho jab aapka pyaar ek tarfa hojata hai (You become the worst version of yourself when you are in one-sided love)," he said. Johar described the constant preoccupation and restlessness that accompany such feelings: "You feel someone has put a very heavy thing on your chest. You keep checking your phone if he is online, why didn't he call, where could he be. Your mind is always distracted". He also admitted that he saw the "worst version" of himself during that phase, feeling "pitiful".
Johar revealed that the experience was so profound that it inspired his 2016 film, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. The film, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and Aishwarya Rai, explores the complexities of unrequited love and heartbreak. Johar shared that creating the film was a cathartic process that helped him "get over" the situation. He confessed feeling uneasy as the hero of the film meets his end in a tragic way, depicting the same anguish he went through after his breakup. He also said that the person he was pining for watched the film and it was awkward.
Despite the pain, Johar emphasized that his love was never negative. "Mera pyaar beshumaar tha, woh pyaar tha, ek tarfa tha but kabhi negative nahi tha (My love was abundant, there was love, it was one-sided but it was never negative)," he clarified. He asserted that he never harbored ill feelings towards the person who couldn't reciprocate his love.
Johar also shared how he was able to move on from his one-sided love. He explained that he started to view his love as a source of empowerment, which enabled him to let go. "When I looked at one-sided love as a power of a feeling that I had, it has empowered me, then I started letting go. That love wasn't mine anyway," he stated.
In a past interview, Johar mentioned that he battled anxiety and was in therapy about five years ago. He said he didn't tell people he was in therapy. During that time, his psychologist helped him realize that he was suppressing his emotions, which were manifesting as anxiety. Speaking about healing, the filmmaker added, "Post that phase when I weaned my medication off, that's when I realised I am feeling much better now because I was speaking to my close ones about the fact that it had got to me in some way because I think every issue, whether it is anxiety or depression, it's spiraling from somewhere, right?".
Johar's candid discussion about his experiences with one-sided love and anxiety offers a glimpse into the emotional challenges that even successful individuals face. By sharing his story, he provides solace and understanding to others who may be going through similar situations.
