As Twitter debates over Karan Johar’s love for nepotism, a look at actors seen in his films recently

We went through all the films Karan Johar directed or produced in 2016 and 2017, and this is what we found

By: Madhuli Trivedi |
November 16, 2017 2:12 pm

Karan Johar is all set to launch two-star kids — Sridevi’s daughter Janhvi Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor’s brother, Ishan Khattar with the remake of the hit Marathi film, Sairat. The film has been titled Dhadak and KJo shared three posters on Wednesday.

Ishaan Khattar’s first look from Dhadak

Soon after the posters went viral, Twitteratti reignited the never-ending nepotism debate:

What a bakwaas pairing … she is looking much older than him.. Hope they have at least acted well, to justify your love for #Nepotism KJo!

— ms_kriti (@kriti2126) November 15, 2017

NEPOTISM again , wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww kabhie STRUGGLERS ko bhi launch kr diya karo

— shruv srk khanna (@ShruvDey) November 15, 2017

All Hail the Baap of Nepotism!!@karanjohar ..Lage raho.

— Rahul chaubey (@Rahulchauba) November 15, 2017

Dhadak.. Ishan… Janhvi… Nepotism… Karan Johar https://t.co/QNni4I5KeY

— मंदार पद्मावती (@yourboy_md) November 15, 2017

Another example of Nepotism …this man is ambassador of Nepotism .

— ssshravani (@shravani_sub) November 15, 2017

With so much airtime invested in discussing KJo’s alleged nepotistic tendencies, we thought it was only fair that we do a quick count of the films he’s directed or produced recently and the stars who had been cast (or repeated recast).

2017:

Ittefaq

Director: Abhay Chopra — Grandson of late B.R. Chopra
Stars:

Sidharth Malhotra — Assistant director to Karan Johar in My Name Is Khan, later KJo launched him in Student Of the Year
Akshaye Khanna — Vinod Khanna’s son
Sonakshi Sinha — Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter

Badrinath Ki Dulhania

Director: Launched by Karan Johar in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
Stars:

Varun Dhawan — David Dhawan’s son
Alia Bhatt — Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter

Ok Jaanu

Director: Shaad Ali — An eminent director started his career with Saathiya
Stars:

Aditya Roy Kapur — younger brother of Siddharth Roy Kapur [CEO of UTV Motion Pictures]
Shraddha Kapoor — Daughter of Shakti Kapoor

2016:

Dear Zindagi

Director: Gauri Shinde — Known for her directional debut — English Vinglish
Stars:

Shah Rukh Khan
Alia Bhatt — Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

Director: Karan Johar
Stars:

Ranbir Kapoor — Son of Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor
Anushka Sharma
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Baar Baar Dekho

Director: Nitya Mehra — Directorial debut
Stars:

Katrina Kaif
Sidharth Malhotra — Karan Johar’s former student

Kapoor & Sons

Director: Shakun Batra
Stars:

Sidharth Malhotra
Fawad Khan
Alia Bhatt — Mahesh Bhatt’s daughter

So out of a grand total seven films (directed or produced in 2016-17) six of them have a cast comprising star kids. That’s no mean feat.

After Kangana Ranaut labelled Karan Johar as the ‘flagbearer of nepotism’ on his talk show Koffee With Karan, and he himself re-invoked the discussion by mocking her at an award show along with actor Saif Ali Khan (son of Sharmila Tagore) and Varun Dhawan (son of director David Dhawan) – this debate seems to be heading nowhere whatsoever. With Janhvi Kapoor and Ishan Khattar launch in the pipeline, looks like this issue, just like Bollywood’s love for remakes with a terrible twist, is here to stay.