Karan Johar on the hate he gets for his bond with Alia Bhatt: ‘I'm allowed to love somebody from my heart’

Director Karan Johar and Alia Bhatt have always been close, after all it’s the filmmaker who had introduced the actress to the industry with Student Of The Year in 2012. It’s a bond that has only grown stronger and the director has frequently expressed his love for the Darlings star on the latest season of his show Koffee With Karan. This has also drawn the ire of many social media users, who have criticised the filmmaker for showing favourtism.

In a recent interview with RJ Siddharth Kannan, Karan was questioned about his relationship with Alia and also how he broke down when she told him she was expecting. The director said that regardless of the ridicule he receives online, he will continue expressing his real love for Alia and also emphasised that he is free to be in love with anyone.

"I think Alia and I just make each other cry. I see a lot of hate for the relationship both of us share like, online when I look. I don't know why people get so annoyed. I'm allowed to love somebody from my heart,” he said.

Stating that Alia is the first person he has connected with on an emotional level, Karan described how his feelings for her are more “parental”. He said that he has immense regard for her and is free to express anything about her anywhere.

Karan discussed how Alia informed him of her pregnancy in an earlier interview with ETimes. He admitted that he started weeping as soon as she broke the good news. "I cried. She came to my office. I remember I was having a bad hair day and I was sitting in a hoodie with a cap. And she told me this. And my first emotion was, tears just came out and Alia came and gave me a hug. I remember saying, 'I can't believe you are having a baby’,” he said.

Alia is part of Karan's movie Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, which also has Ranveer Singh in the lead. The movie has just finished filming, and will be released in 2023.