Karan Johar Says Poo From Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham Is His Alter Ego

Director Karan Johar revealed that the iconic character Pooja, or Poo, from the 2001 film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is his alter ego. Johar shared that he decided to cast Kareena Kapoor in the role after seeing her throw attitude for no reason at a party when she was 17 years old. Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan appeared as guests on the fourth episode of Koffee With Karan Season 9. Kareena shared that Karan used to act out every scene first, and she simply copied him for every shot and followed him closely. Lead actor Shah Rukh Khan was not entirely happy with this setup and once asked Karan if he would let Kareena do her own work, though Karan enjoyed it so much he even picked up the shoes on set. Karan noted that early on, almost no one was confident the character would work, with Shah Rukh later telling him that only he and Kareena found it funny. Kareena recalled feeling worried at first about whether the role would help her career, and her father Randhir Kapoor even told her she was playing Johnny Lever after seeing the film. However, the role turned her into a fashionista icon and she ended up playing similar characters for about eight movies.

Context

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham remains one of the most popular and commercially successful Hindi films of the early 2000s, driven by an ensemble cast. Chat shows hosted by filmmakers often reveal behind-the-scenes stories about classic movies years after their theatrical release. Characters that face initial doubt from cast members sometimes go on to achieve massive cultural impact.