Karan Johar Regrets Making OK Jaanu with Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor

Filmmaker Karan Johar recently opened up about his experience making OK Jaanu, the Hindi remake of Mani Ratnam’s OK Kanmani, starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor. Speaking on the Jay Shetty podcast, Karan admitted that looking back, he feels a bit of regret about the project. He revealed that deep down, he had a feeling it might not be the right move—but he went ahead with it anyway.

Karan explained that although the film had everything going for it—a popular director in Shaad Ali, talented actors, and a great script—he questioned whether the magic of the original could really be recreated. “At that time, Aditya and Shraddha had just come off a big hit with Aashiqui 2. The film was already lined up and ready to go,” he said. “But in my heart, I felt, ‘Should this film be remade? It’s so much about the moment. Can that be captured again?’”

Reflecting on the film’s performance, Karan was clear that no one did anything wrong, but he feels he should have trusted his instincts. “Everyone did their job well, but deep down, I knew it wasn’t the right move—and I didn’t act on it. Even today, sometimes I don’t listen to my gut, and when I don’t, I go wrong. It’s a mistake I keep making.”

OK Jaanu, which released in 2017, was a remake of Mani Ratnam’s 2015 Tamil film O Kadhal Kanmani. The romantic drama explored a modern live-in relationship and featured music by A.R. Rahman, including hits like “Humma Humma” and “Enna Sona.” Despite high expectations, the film didn’t quite click with audiences.

Looking ahead, Karan is excited about his upcoming project, Dhadak 2, starring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri. Produced by Dharma Productions along with Zee Studios and Cloud 9 Pictures, the film is set to release on August 1 and is directed by Shazia Iqbal.