Karan Johar recalls Akshaye Khanna bullying him off the badminton court as a kid
Synopsis
Karan Johar — one of Bollywood's most powerful filmmakers — once confessed on his own chat show that actor Akshaye Khanna used to boot him off the badminton court as a child in South Mumbai. Akshaye denied it, then apologised on air. The exchange is a rare, unguarded glimpse behind the carefully curated world of Koffee with Karan.
Key Takeaways
Karan Johar revealed on Koffee with Karan in 2007 that Akshaye Khanna used to bully him off the badminton court during their childhood in South Mumbai .
Johar described himself as a 'very bad' badminton player, while calling Akshaye a 'great' one who would dismiss weaker players with 'You, you, off the court.' Akshaye initially denied the incident, but later apologised to Johar on the same episode.
Johar said he was 'scarred' by the experience, insisting the memory was genuine.
Dharma Productions backed Akshaye's crime thriller Ittefaq ( 2017 ), directed by Abhay Chopra and co-starring Sonakshi Sinha .
Filmmaker Karan Johar once revealed on his own chat show that actor Akshaye Khanna used to bully him during their shared childhood in South Mumbai — throwing him and other players off the badminton court without a second thought. The candid confession surfaced during a 2007 episode of Koffee with Karan, when Akshaye appeared alongside actor Anil Kapoor.
What Karan Johar Revealed on Koffee with Karan
Johar, the director behind Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, took his guest on an unexpected trip down memory lane, recounting how the two grew up as neighbours in the same South Mumbai locality. He admitted he was a poor badminton player, while Akshaye was, by his own account, a formidable one.
'I know, you've been very rude to me as a child. You don't remember. We've grown up in the same neighbourhood. We used to be neighbours, we were the South Bombay boys. And I used to play badminton, very badly, of course. And Akshaye was a great badminton player, and he used to just come and say, 'You, you, off the court'. And we were these little surviving badminton players, we used to just walk away, and he was this star badminton player, and we used to be thrown off the court,' Johar recalled on air.
Akshaye Khanna's Denial — and Eventual Apology
Akshaye, who appeared on the episode to promote his work, pushed back firmly, arguing that he could not possibly have done such a thing and suggesting Johar was embellishing the story. Johar, however, held his ground, insisting the memory was vivid and the impact lasting.
'I swear I'm not. I remember, I was scarred,' Johar said, drawing laughter from the studio audience even as he maintained the anecdote was entirely true.
Akshaye Khanna ultimately offered an apology to the director for the childhood incident during the same episode — a rare moment of on-air contrition that made the exchange particularly memorable.
An Unlikely Professional Connection
Despite the playful history between the two, their professional paths have intersected in a notable way. While Akshaye Khanna has not featured in any film directed by Johar, the filmmaker's production house, Dharma Productions, backed Akshaye's crime thriller Ittefaq, released in 2017. Directed by Abhay Chopra, the film also starred Sonakshi Sinha in a lead role and received a positive critical reception.
Why This Story Still Resonates
The anecdote endures because it humanises one of Bollywood's most powerful behind-the-scenes figures. Johar has built an empire — from Dharma Productions to the Koffee with Karan franchise itself — yet here he was, recounting a childhood in which he was the one being sidelined. Notably, the episode is a reminder that the social hierarchies of a Mumbai neighbourhood playground can be just as unforgiving as those of the film industry. The two have since maintained a cordial relationship, with Dharma's backing of Ittefaq serving as perhaps the most concrete proof of that.
Point of View
But it also quietly underscores how tightly knit — and hierarchical — Bollywood's social world has always been, even before the cameras rolled. Johar has built a career on controlling the narrative of his chat show, yet this moment worked precisely because he ceded that control and admitted vulnerability. That Dharma Productions later bankrolled Ittefaq suggests the industry's ability to compartmentalise personal history and professional opportunity is as sharp as ever. What mainstream coverage often misses is that stories like this, surfacing years after the fact, reveal how much of Bollywood's power structure is rooted in shared geography and childhood proximity rather than purely in talent or commerce.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Karan Johar reveal that Akshaye Khanna bullied him?
Karan Johar made the revelation during a 2007 episode of his chat show Koffee with Karan , when Akshaye Khanna appeared on the show alongside Anil Kapoor. Johar recounted how Akshaye used to throw him off the badminton court when they were children growing up in South Mumbai.
What exactly did Akshaye Khanna do to Karan Johar as a child?
According to Johar, Akshaye — a skilled badminton player — would walk up to the court and tell weaker players, including Johar, to leave with a blunt 'You, you, off the court.' Johar described himself and the other displaced players as 'little surviving badminton players' who simply walked away.
How did Akshaye Khanna respond to Karan Johar's claim?
Akshaye Khanna initially denied the incident on air, arguing that he could not have behaved that way and suggesting Johar was fabricating the story. However, he later apologised to Johar during the same episode.
Have Karan Johar and Akshaye Khanna worked together professionally?
Akshaye Khanna has not acted in any film directed by Karan Johar. However, Johar's production house, Dharma Productions, backed Akshaye's 2017 crime thriller Ittefaq, directed by Abhay Chopra and co-starring Sonakshi Sinha.
What is Karan Johar's connection to Akshaye Khanna beyond this story?
The two grew up as neighbours in South Mumbai and were part of the same social circle as children. Their professional connection came years later when Dharma Productions produced Ittefaq in 2017, in which Akshaye starred.
