Karan Johar has no problem with friendship or parenthood, but romantic relationships are a different story altogether. The filmmaker recently found himself discussing his approach to love and dating Koffee With Karan Season 9Where guests Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani made an interesting observation about their relationship history. The couple called him ‘commitment phobic’, prompting Karan to explain why he is withdrawn when someone shows romantic interest in him.
The exchange took place during the Coffee Shots segment, where Karan asked the couple to take shots if they experienced certain situations. As the questions moved on to relationships, Siddharth took aim at the host and questioned why he never turned his romantic relationships into lasting relationships.
“Why didn’t you make it a solid relationship? You think you have commitment phobia?” asked Siddharth. He then recalled Karan’s appearance in the last season of the show and said, “I want to say on the last season of your coffee, Karan is the most commitment-phobic person I know.” Kiara quickly agreed with her husband, “That’s true.”
However Karan had his own explanation. Clarifying that the commitment itself was not the problem, she said, “I can be committed to friendship and parenthood, but a relationship, I don’t like anyone who likes me.” He then talked about how he reacts when someone expresses romantic interest in him.
“It comes from low self-esteem issues. The moment someone says I’m really into you. I want to spend time with you. I want to meet you. I’m like ‘Toodles’!” Karan said, laughing about his tendency to laugh.
This is not the first time Karan has spoken about his limited experience with romantic relationships. During a 2024 chat with Faye D’Souza, the filmmaker revealed that he’s been in “one and a half relationships” his entire life. He also explained how his view of his partner changed as he grew up.
Karan admits that he felt the absence of a partner when he turned 40, but his priorities changed when he turned 50.
She said, “I’m single and haven’t been in a relationship for a long time. In fact, I’ve been in a relationship and a half my whole life. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy my single status. I don’t think I could change it now. Forget sharing a bathroom or a bedroom or your space or your schedule, I think you have the power of your day. You have a responsibility to your kids.”
Speaking about her efforts to find a partner, she added, “When I turned 40 I felt empty, but when I turned 50, I felt like I didn’t want it. I’m not stopping it, but now I’m not actively looking for it. I’ve been through agencies, blind date situations, and met people in the country, and if I need it outside the country, I feel good. All.”
Karan is a single parent to twins Yash and Roohi, whom he welcomed via surrogacy in 2017.
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