Karan Johar has been a master of commercial potboilers.
In our series Streaming Guide, we list the works of a filmmaker or actor which are available on streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Eros Now and YouTube among more.
This edition features Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar who has movies like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and My Name Is Khan among more to his credit.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji and Kajol in a still from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
“Pyaar kya hai? Pyaar dosti hai!” This is what Bollywood’s King of Romance Shah Rukh Khan taught every youngster in Karan Johar’s debut directorial Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The film has everything – from a heartwarming story with a love triangle at its centre, stellar cast, good music and enough entertainment to make you forget about the worries of the real world. Also, if you are an SRK fan, you can safely revisit this 90s hit.
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
A still from the movie Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.
You think of good family dramas, and it is difficult to not think about Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. Love it or hate it, you cannot move away from the screen while it is playing.
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
Karan Johar was criticised for promoting infidelity in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. But for me, the film was way ahead of its time as it explored various dynamics of marriage. It had some wow factors, like the sizzling chemistry between Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, the onscreen bond between Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, a good supporting cast and music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy among more. These made the film a decent watch.
My Name Is Khan
Streaming on: Disney+ Hotstar
Shah Rukh Khan in a still from My Name is Khan.
“My name is Khan, and I am not a terrorist.” This is the first thing that comes to my mind as I hear the title, My Name Is Khan. The film is the story of innocent Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh) whose family falls apart post 9/11 attack. He embarks on a journey to meet the US president to tell him that not all Muslims are terrorists. If not anything, I recommend you watch My Name Is Khan to witness King Khan at his best.
Student of the Year
Streaming on: Netflix, YouTube
Alia Bhatt, Siddharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan – three prodigies of Karan Johar entered Bollywood with Student Of The Year. If you like KJo’s dreamy high schools with uber-rich kids in their Prada and Gucci outfits, there are chances of you liking Student of the Year.
Bombay Talkies
Streaming on: Netflix, Youtube
A poster of the movie Bombay Talkies.
The 2013 anthology film, directed by Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Karan Johar, celebrated 100 years of Hindi cinema. It showcased the power of cinema. KJo’s short film Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh is about a couple played by Rani Mukerji and Randeep Hooda. Their life takes a dramatic turn with the entry of a homosexual man (Saqib Saleem). The film proved that Johar is not only a master of commercial potboilers but also possesses the ability to handle sensitive topics.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
Streaming on: Viu, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video
In her review of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, The Indian Express film critic Shubhra Gupta wrote, “You can’t get better-looking actors than Ranbir Kapoor-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-Anushka Sharma-Fawad Khan. You can’t get more atmospheric cities than London and Paris. But Johar is unable to go the extra mile it in the other department, leaving you wanting both more and less: less of the incessant yak-yak (you want to tell these impeccably-styled people to stop and draw breath and then speak, so that they, and we, can absorb the moment they’ve created) and more silence (the most effective parts of the film happen when it’s quiet), and more fresh plot points.”
Lust Stories
Streaming on: Netflix
Vicky Kaushal and Kiara Advani in Karan Johar’s segment of Lust Stories
Four prominent filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar and Dibakar Banerjee explored the theme of lust in Netflix’s anthology film Lust Stories. Johar’s segment ends the anthology and serves a distinctive take on how Indian men remain oblivious to women’s desires. It stars Neha Dhupia, Kiara Advani and Vicky Kaushal.
Ghost Stories
Streaming on: Netflix
Ghost Stories starred Janhvi Kapoor, Sobhita Dhulipala, Surekha Sikri and others.
The quartet of filmmakers – Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap, who collaborated on Bombay Talkies and Lust Stories, tried their hands at the horror genre with Ghost Stories. Karan’s segment involved a new bride, a dead grandmother, a spooky house and an eerie housekeeper. Despite trying hard to generate scares, Ghost Stories failed to impress fans of the genre.
| Priyanka Chopra | Imtiaz Ali | Vishal Bhardwaj | Sanjay Leela Bhansali | Ayushmann Khurrana | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Anees Bazmee | Rajkumar Hirani | | | | | | Hansal Mehta | Ranbir Kapoor | Varun Dhawan
Koffee With Karan
Streaming on: Hotstar
With his celebrity chat show, Karan Johar created something ‘candid, conversational and tad controversial.’ Fans of Bollywood got to hear some candid confessions made by their favourite celebrities and then enjoyed the controversies which followed. If you missed it, watch it for all the gossip, the engaging rapid-fire round and a peep into the personal life of your favourite actors.