Latest news with #AnUnsuitableBoy
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Lilliput apologises to Karan Johar: 'I told him he had feminine gestures—never meant to hurt him'
In a powerful moment of reflection, veteran actor Lilliput offered a heartfelt apology to Karan Johar for a comment made decades ago during their time on the TV serial 'Indradhanush'. In his autobiography 'An Unsuitable Boy', KJo revealed that Lilliput had once remarked on his 'slightly feminine gestures,' a remark that deeply affected him and discouraged his acting pursuits. In response, Lilliput clarified that it was never intended as an insult but as honest theatrical feedback—and expressed regret for the pain it caused, stating he'd apologize in person if given the chance. Read More
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
MM Faruqui aka Lilliput reacts to Karan Johar's claim in An Unsuitable Boy about his ‘feminine gesture': ‘If we meet sometime, I'll apologise'
While many cinephiles believe Karan Johar first appeared as an actor in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) or later in Bombay Velvet (2015), the filmmaker's true acting debut dates back even further. As a teenager, Karan was part of the 1989 Doordarshan sci-fi series Indradhanush, which ran for just 13 episodes but became a cult favourite over time. Among his co-stars in the show was veteran theatre actor MM Faruqui, better known by his stage name, Lilliput. Karan wrote about a painful incident in An Unsuitable Boy In his autobiography An Unsuitable Boy, Karan recalled how a remark from Lilliput on the sets of Indradhanush deeply impacted him. Referring to Karan's mannerisms and what was perceived as effeminacy, Lilliput's comment left the young actor shaken, enough for Karan to vow never to pursue acting again. Now, years later, Lilliput has responded to that memory during an interview with Red FM Podcasts, offering his side of the story. 'He was a kid… I said it with a clean heart' 'He was just a kid at that time,' Lilliput began, adding that his intentions were never malicious. Drawing from his background in theatre, he explained that such feedback was often shared openly among actors. 'In theatre, we are very honest. If someone is doing something wrong, we tell them directly, and usually, they don't take it badly. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brother Donates Kidney To Save Sister's Life. One Year Later, He Says, I Wish I Never Did It, When This Happens Daily Sport X Undo Karan had a slightly feminine gesture, so I thought, 'He's a kid, if we tell him now, maybe he'll adjust it and grow better from it.' But I didn't know the psychology behind it,' he said. Actor Lilliput slams 'Zero', says Shah Rukh Khan shouldn't have done the movie 'If I had known it hurt him, I would've apologised then and there' Lilliput admitted that he had no idea his remark had caused Karan such hurt. 'In my mind, he was a talented kid doing good work. I thought, if he works on this, he'll go even further. That was my intention. But it hurt him, and I didn't know that.' He continued, 'If I had known, I would've apologised right then and there. I never meant to hurt him. I said what I said with a clean heart. He took it badly — that's his psychology.' Lilliput also expressed his willingness to apologise to Karan personally, should their paths ever cross. 'If we meet sometime, I'll apologise. No harm in doing that,' he concluded.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Karan Johar had slightly feminine gestures, told him so he could improve; didn't mean to insult him': Lilliput apologises for his remarks that scarred filmmaker
Films like Aditya Chopra's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and, more recently, Anurag Kashyap's Bombay Velvet, are often cited as the first glimpses the audience got of Karan Johar as an actor. However, few know that Karan Johar's acting debut came much earlier, as a teenager in the Doordarshan sci-fi TV series Indradhanush. The series aired in 1989 for just 13 episodes, but it gained popularity and was well-regarded for its time. Karan was part of the main cast, and among his co-actors was veteran performer MM Faruqui, popularly known as Lilliput. In his autobiography An Unsuitable Boy, Karan recounted his experiences on the show and shared an incident that left a deep emotional impact. He wrote about how a comment made by Lilliput regarding his mannerisms and perceived effeminacy affected him so profoundly that he decided never to pursue acting again. Now, in a recent interview with Red FM Podcasts, Lilliput has addressed what Karan wrote and offered his perspective on the moment. He recalled, 'He was just a kid at that time. We come from a theatre background, and there's a certain habit we have: if we think of a good punchline, we give it to the actor in front of us; we don't keep it for ourselves. In theatre, we are very honest. If someone is doing something wrong, we tell them directly, and usually, they don't take it badly. Karan had a slightly feminine gesture, so I thought, 'He's a kid, if we tell him now, maybe he'll adjust it and grow better from it.' But I didn't know the psychology behind it.' Lilliput said that he did not mean to insult or offend Karan, and said that had he known that Karan was hurt by his comment, he would have apologised right them. 'I had no idea that I was doing something wrong or saying something that would insult him. In my mind, he was a talented kid doing good work. I thought, if he works on this, he'll go even further. That was my intention. But it hurt him, and I didn't know that. If I had known, I would've apologised right then and there. I never meant to hurt him. I said what I said with a clean heart. He took it badly, that's his psychology. If we meet sometime, I'll apologise. No harm in doing that,' he said. Also Read | 'Shah Rukh Khan not even equal to dirt on Kamal Haasan's feet', says Lilliput as he criticises SRK's acting in Zero: 'Aap Kamal ji ki copy kar rahe ho' While Lilliput's comments appear sincere and conciliatory, Karan's experience was clearly painful. In An Unsuitable Boy, he explained how that moment shaped his self-image and pushed him away from pursuing acting roles: '…I remember one thing that really threw me off. There was an actor called Lilliput. He took me aside one day and said, 'You're a very good actor but you're very effeminate. Log aapka mazaak udayenge. (People will make fun of you). Your hand gestures are very effeminate.' That stuck with me. And I stopped acting. After that, when I was offered some TV work, I said no. I didn't want to come across as effeminate. I associated it with abnormality. Nobody said 'gay' in those days, but 'effeminate' was the insinuation to make at that time. I was called 'pansy' — which is to say, you're not like a man.' Indradhanush also featured other notable names such as filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker and actor Urmila Matondkar. Despite the hurtful memory attached to it, Karan has spoken fondly about the series and his time on set, especially the experience of filming at the legendary RK Studios. In a 2020 Twitter thread, he wrote: 'RK Studios is more than a mega institution of Indian cinema, it has also shaped many personal memories for me. My fondest memory wasn't as a director but as an actor! I was 15 & shooting for a TV serial called Indradhanush, which was being filmed there, one of my first times on a set. I remember standing at the gate of RK Studios, excited to get on set & walk through the corridors where the great Raj Kapoor created some of the most memorable films.'
Indian Express
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Karan Johar says will have to move to London with friends if their WhatsApp group chats come out: ‘We may not be able to continue living in our city'
On his controversial chat show Koffee with Karan, host Karan Johar has often referred to his fiercely guarded WhatsApp groups with fellow Bollywood celebrities. One of them being 'GUTS,' where the filmmaker breaks down airport looks and red carpet appearances of his industry colleagues with friends Kareena Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, and Rhea Kapoor among others. During a recent event in London, when an audience member asked Johar to publish a book on those WhatsApp chats, Johar responded cheekily. 'If anyone ever got access to those WhatsApp groups about me and many of my friends in the fraternity, I think we would have to move to London. We may not be able to continue living in our city,' he said. In the interview with Mojo Story, Johar explained further, 'Because let me tell you, they are very candid, honest, and sometimes very b*tchy analysis of our immediate environment and what is going on. We are fashion critics, we are movie critics. We are critics of everything in that group. Everyone has an opinion, and none of us can ever put those opinions out there.' In the same chat, Johar revealed he's part of not only these gossip groups on WhatsApp, but also some serious ones as the single parent of his kids Yash and Roohi. 'It can be very daunting, and also hilarious when you're on two WhatsApp groups with 30 mothers on one and 32 mothers on another. They're in two divisions: A and B,' Johar explained. 'Every morning, I wake up to these 62 amazing women saying 'Ladies!' And I say, 'Hello? I'm also on this WhatsApp group!' But they're so nurturing and helpful. They've really helped me through some tough times because I really don't know. Whenever I go to a parent-teacher meeting, I'm always doing two roles (as a father and a mother) and hearing for both of them. That's the joy of having twins,' he added. Johar became a father to Yash and Roohi in 2017 via surrogacy. Also Read — Karan Johar recalls how troll saying 'you've denied your kids a mother' made him cry: 'I asked my five-year-olds if they're happy' Johar is a published author as Penguin Random House released his memoir An Unsuitable Boy in 2016. It was co-authored by Johar and journalist Poonam Saxena. On the work front, Johar will next direct his first series for Netflix India. His last directorial was the 2023 hit family comedy Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in lead roles.
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Karan Johar denies using Ozempic, reveals secret behind drastic weight loss: ‘One meal a day for seven months; no glucose, no lactose, no gluten'
For months, filmmaker Karan Johar's massive physical transformation has been attributed to Ozempic, a diabetes drug whose side effects include drastic weight loss. Several Bollywood celebrities have experienced transformations in recent months, but none of them has ever admitted to having used Ozempic. In an interview, Karan Johar denied taking the drug, and said that he'd have found a way to monetise it if he were actually using it. Karan opened up about the diet that he has been on, and said that he has always suffered from a condition known as body dysmorphia. Appearing on Raj Shamani's podcast, Karan was asked about the Ozempic rumours, and he said, 'I've always been battling the bulge. I've been on about a thousands diets, I've done 500 kinds of workouts. For some reason, I was never able to lose weight. The needle simply wouldn't move. I discovered that I had an underlying thyroid condition, and this was affecting my weight. People keep saying I'm on Ozempic, and I'm tired of it. You don't know my truth, and I'm not interested in telling you my truth.' Karan said that he doesn't want to get into the details of his long and unhealthy relationship with his body, but revealed that he has never felt better physically. 'I've never felt more confident in my skin. It gives me nothing but joy. After 52 years, I feel confident.' Karan said that even though he has lost a lot of weight, he still struggles to look at his body without despising it. He said that his body dysmorphia caused a lot of emotional stress, in addition to physical discomfort. Asked why people deny having used the drug, Karan said, 'If you do the emotional mathematics of my life, I'm a single parent with two kids. I haven't hidden anything. I've written a book called An Unsuitable Boy, in which I revealed details about my life that I never had before. I don't hide the biggest truths about my life, will I hide this? Will I hide having taken Ozempic or Mounjaro? Do the emotional mathematics yourself. Why would I hide this? If I'd used it, I would've openly said so, and I'd have advised others as well.' Karan joked that he might even be signed as a brand ambassador for Ozempic. 'I'll find a way to monetise it. I will try and leverage it if I want to. If you feel like spreading these rumours, go ahead Mounjaro, the Ozempic equivalent available in India, is a once-weekly injection that has already been approved by India's drug regulator. It is priced at Rs 4,375 ($50.67) for a 5 mg vial, and Rs 3,500 ($40.54) for a 2.5 mg vial. Opening up about how he actually lost weight, Karan said, 'I went on something called OMAD. One Meal a Day. The first seven days were extremely difficult. For seven months, I did OMAD. I'd eat one meal at 8:30 pm every day, no lactose, no glucose, no gluten. Rigorously and relentlessly.' Karan said that he is mildly lactose intolerant, but has started lactose intake again recently, because he needed to gain some weight back.
