Director Karan Johar has expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the later referenced his 1998 film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai during an address to the Indian diaspora in Jakarta, Indonesia.
During his address, PM Modi highlighted the popularity of Indian cinema in Indonesia, specifically mentioning the title track of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
PM Modi said, “Yahan Bharat ka gana Kuch Kuch Hota Hai bahut hi lokpriya hai. Aaj maine is par kaha ki jab Bharat aur Indonesia saath milkar chalte hain, toh ‘Kuch Kuch’ se bhi aage badhkar ‘bahut kuch’ hota hai” (Here, India’s song Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is very popular. Today, I said that when India and Indonesia move forward together, it leads to much more than just ‘Kuch Kuch’—it leads to ‘bahut kuch’).
Karan later reshared the clip of the speech on his Instagram Stories and wrote, “Elated and honoured to have our esteemed Prime Minister @narendramodi ji speak about Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in Jakarta. There is indeed a language that transcends all—it’s love. Thank you for embracing and making this song live forever!!!”
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai was Karan’s directorial debut and went on to become Hindi cinema’s biggest hits and remains among its most popular romantic dramas. The film starred Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Rani Mukerji and Salman Khan.
Karan’s last directorial was the Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt starrer Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023). Reportedly, his next directorial venture is a grand-scale family drama, with the script already locked. The project has fuelled speculation about its scale and cast, though Karan has not revealed further details. He has also confirmed that he will direct two major feature films back-to-back in 2027.
Meanwhile, his banner, Dharma Productions, continues to expand its footprint as a distributor, backing several high-profile releases in India, including Nitesh Tiwari’s much-awaited Ramayana.
