Karan Johar opens up about life without partner, feeling lonely at winning National Award: ‘Whose hand do I hold?’

Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar is a proud single dad to his twins, Yash and Roohi. Talking about his life, he recently opened up about feeling lonely without a partner. He recalled having no one as his plus one to the Delhi ceremony where he received his National Award.

Karan Johar on feeling lonely without a partner

Talking to Sania Mirza on her podcast, Serving It Up with Sania, Karan Johar shared he has been feeling lonely at times. He said, “You feel the loneliest in your highs and not your lows. In your lows, you have your family, friends, parents and kids. I have two cousin sisters I am very close to, and I have my best friends. But in your highs, what do you do? I remember I got a call that I was getting a National Award. I hung up the call, and for one minute all I thought about was, ‘What do I do tonight? Whose house do I go to? Whose hand do I hold? A little pat on the back, I needed and wanted to feel happy.'"

Karan Johar: I eat in my room so I can dilute the loneliness

However, Johar remains optimistic about finding the one.

He added, “When I went to the awards, they asked me who my plus one was, and I had no one. Everybody was coming with their partners, and my mum was not well enough to travel, and my kids were too young. It hits you hard. I do get lonely and, on many nights when I am eating alone, I don’t go to my dining table. I eat in my room so I can dilute the loneliness. But they say never say never, and when it happens, I am standing with my arms wide open like Shah Rukh Khan.”

The filmmaker also shared that he feels lonely especially during New Years as people usually celebrate the occasion with their partners. He jokingly said that he ‘wants to kill’ those who engage in PDA in front of him.

Karan Johar's National Award win

Karan Johar won a National Award in 2025 for his directorial, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, in the category of Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. The film starred Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh.