Filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan recently shared insights about the challenging environment in Bollywood during the early 1990s, revealing that director Karan Johar had received underworld threats before the premiere of his iconic film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
Speaking on a podcast hosted by Ranveer Allahbadia, Farah recalled how the Hindi film industry was struggling with its image during that period. She said that many young people from her generation often preferred Hollywood movies and looked down on Hindi cinema while they were in college.
Farah also described the 1980s as one of the weakest phases for Bollywood. According to her, the era was dominated by multi-hero films featuring stars like Dharmendra, Jeetendra and Shatrughan Sinha, but many of those films failed to leave a lasting impact on audiences.
Talking about the atmosphere in the industry during the 1990s, Farah highlighted the influence of the underworld in Bollywood at the time. She recalled how the murder of producer Mukesh Duggal in the mid-1990s shocked the entire industry.
She further revealed that even film premieres were not free from tension. Farah said that before the premieres of Duplicate and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Karan Johar had reportedly received threats from the underworld, which created panic among the team. There were serious discussions about whether the premiere should be cancelled.
Despite the fear and uncertainty, the event eventually went ahead as planned. However, Farah recalled that Johar was extremely stressed during that time.