Bollywood director and producer Karan Johar recently opened up about his efforts to modify his feminine mannerisms and voice during his teenage years.
In a candid interview with host Sania Mirza, Johar reflected on his early life, single parenting, and various personal challenges. He revealed that at age 15, while his peers were engaged in sports, he pursued courses in French, cooking, flower and fruit arrangement, and public speaking.
“My school coach once told me that I was a brilliant student and spoke well, but my speech, gestures, and even voice were like that of a girl,” Johar said. He added that his coach warned him that such traits could create difficulties in society and offered to help him adopt more traditionally masculine speech and behavior.
Johar explained that for three years he attended classes with his coach and the coach’s wife three times a week, for two hours each session, learning to walk, talk, and carry himself like a man. Out of fear and privacy, he concealed these lessons from his father, telling him instead that he was attending computer classes, while paying the fees to the coach.
The filmmaker described the experience as a pivotal period in his life that shaped his confidence and public persona.
