Kajol's crush on Akshay Kumar: How Karan Johar found a friend instead
Synopsis
It took a three-piece suit, 30 minutes of uncontrollable laughter, and a shared — but unsuccessful — search for Akshay Kumar at a film premiere to forge one of Bollywood's most enduring friendships. Karan Johar's retelling of how he and Kajol became friends is equal parts humiliating and heartwarming, and the resurfaced clip proves it never gets old.
Key Takeaways
Karan Johar and Kajol first met at a filmy party where she laughed at him for nearly 30 minutes over his three-piece suit.
Karan said he left the party feeling humiliated — calling it the most insulted he had ever felt.
Their friendship solidified at the premiere of the film Hainaa , where Kajol reportedly had a big crush on Akshay Kumar .
Both Karan and Kajol spent the premiere searching for Akshay Kumar but did not find him.
The anecdote resurfaced via an old clip from The Kapil Sharma Show , which has since gone viral online.
A resurfaced video from The Kapil Sharma Show has rekindled one of Bollywood's most cherished friendship origin stories — the unlikely bond between filmmaker Karan Johar and actress Kajol, which reportedly began not with warmth, but with Kajol laughing uncontrollably at a young Karan at a filmy party.
The Party That Started It All
In the clip, Karan Johar recounted arriving at a film industry party dressed in a three-piece suit and tie — an outfit he had carefully chosen for the occasion. Kajol, who was present at the same event, could not contain her amusement at the sight of the formally dressed young man in what was clearly a discotheque setting. 'She was laughing like crazy,' Karan recalled on stage.
Kajol explained her reaction in her own words: 'I had gone to a filmy party. And I reached there and... it was in a discotheque, it was like a bar and all that. And cut to Karan Johar coming in a three-piece suit, wearing a tie inside, and standing straight. At the bar, I just started laughing. I laughed so much. Looking at him.. Oh my God! I mean, a 21-year-old boy.' Karan disputed the age detail but confirmed the suit.
Karan described the humiliation of being laughed at on the dance floor for nearly half an hour: 'Five minutes, ten minutes, half an hour.. who laughs at someone else for 30 minutes. I mean, I was so humiliated.. that I left the party. I never felt more insulted in my life.'
The Akshay Kumar Connection
The two crossed paths again at the premiere of the film Hainaa, and it was here that the friendship truly took root — albeit through an unexpected third party. According to Karan, Kajol had a significant crush on Akshay Kumar at the time and spent the evening scanning the premiere crowd for him. 'She was looking for Akshay Kumar in the entire premiere. And I became her support. Secretly, I was also looking for Akshay Kumar,' he said with characteristic candour.
Neither of them found Akshay Kumar that evening. Instead, they found each other. 'We didn't find Akshay Kumar, but we found each other. We became friends. So that's how our friendship started,' Karan added.
A Friendship That Defined an Era
The Karan Johar–Kajol friendship has been one of Bollywood's most publicly celebrated bonds, spanning decades and multiple film collaborations including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. The resurfaced video serves as a reminder that their connection began not on a film set, but at a party where a three-piece suit and an absent superstar played unlikely matchmakers.
The clip continues to circulate widely online, drawing fresh affection from fans of both the actress and the filmmaker.
Point of View
But it also underscores something the Bollywood friendship circuit rarely admits: that some of its most durable bonds were accidental. The Karan–Kajol axis has been leveraged across decades of press appearances, award shows, and film promotions — yet its origin is remarkably unglamorous. What the viral moment really reflects is how effectively nostalgia content travels in the social media age; an anecdote from a chat show recorded years ago can generate more engagement today than a new film trailer. That is a content dynamic Bollywood PR machinery has been slow to fully exploit.
NationPress
24 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Karan Johar and Kajol become friends?
Karan Johar and Kajol first met at a film industry party where Kajol laughed at Karan for nearly 30 minutes over his formal attire. Their friendship solidified at the premiere of the film Hainaa, where both ended up searching for Akshay Kumar together.
Why did Kajol laugh at Karan Johar when they first met?
Kajol found it amusing that Karan had arrived at a discotheque-style filmy party dressed in a three-piece suit and tie. She could not stop laughing, which left Karan so embarrassed that he eventually left the party.
Who did Kajol have a crush on before her friendship with Karan Johar?
According to Karan Johar, Kajol had a significant crush on Akshay Kumar at the time of the Hainaa premiere. She spent the evening looking for Akshay Kumar, with Karan accompanying her in the search.
Where did Karan Johar reveal the Kajol-Akshay Kumar story?
Karan Johar shared the anecdote on The Kapil Sharma Show. A video of the episode has recently resurfaced online and is widely circulating on social media.
What film premiere brought Karan Johar and Kajol closer?
It was the premiere of the film Hainaa where the two spent time together searching for Akshay Kumar. Not finding him, they ended up bonding with each other instead, marking the real beginning of their friendship.
