‘I am the emperor of Bollywood’: Karan Johar tells Kartik Aaryan in hilarious banter | Watch

“I am the emperor of Bollywood, not you,” Karan Johar told actor Kartik Aaryan in a hilarious banter video as the duo arrived in Jaipur for the 25th edition of IIFA.

In an Instagram reel, shared by Kartik and IIFA's official handle, the Bollywood celebrities poked fun at each other as they argued about who the real “royalty" of Indian cinema was.

In the video captioned “K vs K”, Kartik retorted to Karan Johar's claim to the title of “royalty” with: “If you are the emperor, then I am the prince of Indian cinema.”

However, Karan did not want to let go and responded by saying, “Oh my god! Tum aur royalty, asli royalty mein hoon.”

The banter went from fighting over “royalty” claims to the filmmaker’s physical transformation real quickly.

The Chandu Champion actor questioned Karan's drastic weight loss, and said, “Aap itne patle kaisai huye ho, aesa lag raha hai kisi ne karan bhej diya hai and Johar baaki hai (How did you lose so much weight? It seems Karan has come and Johar is yet to join).”

While Karan roasted Kartik with “Mr Kaizada” dig, apparently referring to his 2023 movie Shehzada.

Watch the video here:

Kartik Aaryan and Karan Johar were on rocky terms after the actor was dropped out of KJo’s Dostana 2 in 2021 because of his “unprofessional” behaviour.

However, in 2023, Karan dropped the fight with Kartik on the actor's 33rd birthday. Karan even announced a movie with Kartik – Aashiqui 3 – on his official Instagram handle.

IIFA awards

The 25th edition of IIFA will take place on March 8 and 9 in Jaipur, Rajasthan. This year, Kartik Aaryan will be hosting the award show.

The event will also feature a special celebration of the iconic ‘Sholay’ on its 50th anniversary, with an exclusive screening at the famous Raj Mandir Cinema.

The event will also see legendary MMA fighter and combat sports trailblazer Anthony Pettis making a special appearance.