In a statement released on his Instagram Stories on Friday evening, filmmaker Karan Johar moved to quell the mounting criticism surrounding his recent remarks about the commercial performance of his production, Homebound.
The controversy began during an appearance on the podcast Game Changers, where Johar discussed the business reality of filmmaking following the sale of a 50% stake in Dharma Productions to Adar Poonawalla. During the interview, he stated that future project decisions would be heavily weighed by their potential for profit, expressing doubt over whether he could afford to make another film like the critically acclaimed Homebound, which did not turn a profit at the box office.
Karan Johar had said: “Maine abhi ek film banayi he Homebound, which is very critically acclaimed and we are hoping it finds its limited audience lekin aisi decisions shayad mein future loonga ya nahi loonga ye main aaj nahi keh sakta… bohot dukh hoga lekin I chose this deal for a reason. Profitability dikhana bohot zaruri hai (Now we will take only take those decisions which are profitable because that is important. I made Homebound now but I am not sure if I can take that decision again in the future. Of course it will pain me but we need to show profitability).”
These comments drew a strong reaction from social media users, many of whom argued that Dharma Productions itself was to blame for the film’s poor performance by allotting it significantly fewer screens than its more mainstream and mass-market release, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari (which hit theatres a week after Homebound).
Johar’s Clarification: ‘Exceptionally Proud’ of Homebound
Responding to the chatter, Karan Johar clarified his position: “I humbly request my friends and members in the media to not misconstrue or misquote my comments on our film Homebound… it was an academic chat on the business of our movies… I am and will always be exceptionally proud of Homebound… it will always shine in our repertoire of films as one of our finest and most sensitively performed and directed films…”
He further added that despite the commercial challenges, the team remains committed to the project’s success, stating, “We are actively working towards making our film get a large audience and presence on a global stage and are thrilled with the day on day increase in domestic footfalls as well.”
Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, Homebound stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor. The film, which has received widespread acclaim and is currently in its third week in theatres, was recently named India’s official entry to the 2026 Oscars in the Best International Feature Film category.