Javed Akhtar has written some of the most memorable songs in Hindi cinema, but the celebrated lyricist and writer actually declined to work on Karan Johar’s debut film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai because he didn’t like the title. During a recent conversation on comedian Sapan Verma’s YouTube channel, Javed expressed his regret over the decision but explained his initial rationale.
Reflecting on his choice, he said, “I consider the ’80s to be the darkest time for Hindi cinema. People were either writing double-meaning songs or songs with no meaning at all. I avoided films that, in any way, had lyrics I found absurd or vulgar. This principle led me to turn down a very successful film—Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. I had written the first song for it, but when Karan decided on the title, I refused to work on a film with that name. I thought, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai… kya hota hai? I regret it now, but at that time, I refused.”
Previously, in a discussion with designer Prabal Gurung on the Gold House YouTube channel, Karan spoke about Javed’s decision to leave the project, revealing that Javed later acknowledged his misjudgment. He shared,“Javed sahab had a problem with the title Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, we had a creative disagreement and he told me, ‘I don’t feel like I can write the lyrics of this film’s songs’ and it was a very amicable. I told him that it is my desire to work with you and he said, ‘We will work Karan another time.’ But when the film released, he called me and told me that he was wrong.” Although they didn’t collaborate on Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Karan and Javed later joined forces on Karan’s 2003 film Kal Ho Naa Ho.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai turned out to be a massive box-office hit and is now considered a classic. Its soundtrack achieved remarkable success as well, becoming the best-selling Bollywood album of the year, with an impressive eight million copies sold in India. Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, and Rani Mukerji in lead roles, the film remains beloved by fans and is considered to be a cult classic.
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