Celebrating 27 years of his directorial debut, the filmmaker shares candid behind-the-scenes photos of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, but notably omits the star who played Aman.
Filmmaker Karan Johar took a trip down memory lane on Thursday, celebrating the 27th anniversary of his directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. While his Instagram post was filled with nostalgic photos of the cast and crew, it immediately drew attention from fans who noticed a glaring omission: not a single picture of actor Salman Khan.
Karan shared behind-the-scenes photos featuring the film’s lead actors, including Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, and Rani Mukerji, along with supporting cast members like Anupam Kher, Reema Lagoo, and Archana Puran Singh. He also included candid shots of himself, his father Yash Johar, and choreographer Farah Khan.
Sharing the post, Karan wrote, “27 years!!! Some beautiful and candid memories from our set of #KuchKuchHotaHai…a set filled with love, too much banter and happiness (red heart emojis). Thank you to everyone for the love you continue to give this film…it means everything to me! @dharmamovies.”
Fans Question the ‘Missing’ Star
The post, which received comments from celebrities like Anupam Kher, Alia Bhatt, and Aditi Rao Hydari, quickly became a point of discussion among fans who felt the absence of Salman Khan was disrespectful given his crucial role as Aman.
Salman Khan’s character, Aman, played the compassionate fiancé of Kajol’s character, Anjali, and was instrumental in the film’s climax.
Fans flooded the comments section, demanding to know why Salman was excluded:
- “Where is Aman’s pic in ur post? That was the best cameo till today.”
- “No post of @beingsalmankhan, he was one of the most important characters.”
- “How conveniently you missed out on posting even a single pic of Salman! Exactly how she forgot and ran to SK in the movie!”
- “You should have posted at least one picture of Salman Khan…!!”
Despite the calls for inclusion, Karan Johar has not yet commented on the reason for the omission.
A Nostalgic Masterpiece
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), a romantic comedy-drama, was written and directed by Karan and produced by his father, Yash Johar. The film also starred Sana Saeed, Farida Jalal, Himani Shivpuri, Johnny Lever, and Parzan Dastur. It was a massive commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film of 1998.
The anniversary also prompted many fans to share their love for the movie:
- “A masterpiece. A film ahead of its time.”
- “I’ve grown up watching this movie. It’s the closest to my heart and forever will be.”
Karan Johar’s last directorial project was Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), starring Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, and Shabana Azmi.