Bollywood filmmaker shuts down homophobic troll
Bollywood director Karan Johar (Ishan Tankha/The India Today Group/Getty)
Indian filmmaker Karan Johar perfectly hit back at a Twitter troll who questioned his sexuality on Monday (August 18).
Often informally referred to as ‘KJo’, Johar is a director, producer, screenwriter, actor and television personality who has worked on several hit Bollywood films. He commands a 16.6 million strong fan base on Twitter.
The 47-year-old attracted questions about his sexuality after he became a single parent to two twin babies through surrogacy.
He has now grown resilient to the trolls, previously explaining: “While most people have alarm clocks, I get to wake up every morning to “gay ma*****od, good morning.”
Karan Johar during IIFA Bollywood Awards 2004 in Singapore. (Y K Foo/WireImage/Getty)
In a now-deleted tweet sent on Monday, the troll told Johar: “Karan Johar k life pe ek movie banani chahiye [a film should be made on Karan Johar’s life], KARAN JOHAR: the gay.”
Johar quickly called out the homophobic comment, replying: “You absolutely original genius! Where have you been hiding all this while??? Thank you for existing and emerging as the most prolific voice on Twitter today!!!”
You absolutely orignal genius! Where have you been hiding all this while??? Thank you for existing and emerging as the most prolific voice on Twitter today!!! https://t.co/5lxcPMjVif
— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) August 18, 2019
The Twitter troll promptly deleted the tweet, but not before it had been seen by Johar’s followers. Hundreds of fans leapt to the filmmaker’s defence:
.@karanjohar you should not be reacting or answering these type of tweets. You are a living legend and you have given films which define Bollywood! These are useless tweets which you should not mention or reply ?
— Rajesh Banga (@rajeshbanga) August 19, 2019
Why do people pick on @karanjohar for Wht ? He is the best producer any actor, director can have . I have know him from college days always down to earth . God bless him !
— mayme (@mayuumehta) August 18, 2019
Go off kjo!!!! You rock and don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. These peoples opinions and hatred will never level up to the love your movies have gotten…k3G,KKHH… all love ❤️❤️❤️❤️!!!!!
— Nimra (@nimmk15) August 18, 2019
When an elephant walks, many dogs bark…
That guy is a loser @karanjohar. Mat lago munh inn logo so…— Rahul Singh (@imrahulsingh8) August 18, 2019
Johar is co-parenting his two children with his mother. As a result, his sexuality, personality and parenting skills are heavily scrutinised in Indian media.
In response to tweets accusing him of having “a gender malfunction,” he said: “I was born a man, I am proud to be a man, I have a woman in me that makes me more of a man.”
He added: “Initially, when I used to get [online abuse], I used to deal with it by being upset and being angry but then I got into the state of indifference. And now I am in a state of glorious amusement.
“You can talk about me, but don’t make it sound like I have a disease or something is wrong with me and I should shut up because you think I am gay. Then you should shut up because you have no life. That’s the way I look at it.”
