Nikkhil Advani reveals Karan Johar’s house was mortgaged and his mother Hiroo Johar suffered a heart attack; Amitabh Bachchan gave Yash Johar dates for ‘Agneepath’ | Hindi Movie News

Yash Johar’s Dharma Productions is known for creating impeccable projects in Bollywood. However, in its earlier years, the production house struggled to stay afloat financially. Before Karan Johar took the reins in the late 1990s, the company went through a turbulent period, even facing severe financial setbacks.
Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani, who was closely associated with the production house during the making of films such as ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai‘, ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham‘, and ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho‘, recently shed light on the company’s past hardships. He revealed that Yash Johar had to mortgage his house, and Karan’s mother, Hiroo Johar, suffered a heart attack amid the financial turmoil. To generate funds, the family even resorted to selling camera and lighting equipment.

Recalling Karan Johar’s struggles, Nikkhil told Lehren Retro that Karan once shared how he had to sell his lights and camera to overcome financial difficulties. Karan had mortgaged his house, and his mother, Hiroo, had a heart attack. On one occasion, Amitabh Bachchan, who shares a close bond with Yash Johar as they were schoolmates, inquired about Hiroo and learnt that she had been hospitalised. Amitabh left his shoot and rushed to see Hiroo in the hospital.
According to Nikkhil, it was there that Amitabh and Yash Johar discussed the possibility of making Agneepath. While visiting Hiroo in the hospital, Amitabh offered Yash his support during the latter’s financial struggles. Bachchan mentioned that he was working with a filmmaker named Romesh, who was producing a movie. He then suggested that Johar reach out to Romesh, informing him that Bachchan had allocated dates for his film. He also proposed working on a project inspired by Scarface, which ultimately led to the creation of ‘Agneepath’. “That’s how Agneepath came about. That’s how the film got made. He simply said, ‘I know what you’re going through, I know what the condition is right now, I am giving you the dates, let’s start,’” he added.
Despite its critical acclaim, ‘Agneepath’ did not achieve commercial success. However, it marked an important chapter in the production house’s journey.
Nikkhil reflects on his time at Dharma Productions, emphasising that his association was more than just working on three films. He sees his tenure as a period when he was present during the crucial phase in which Yash and Karan were laying the groundwork for the production house’s future. He acknowledges that ‘Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’, and ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ were instrumental in shaping the company into the powerhouse it is today.