Filmmaker Karan Johar, one of Bollywood’s most prominent directors, recently crossed paths with Prince William in London in connection with the Earthshot Prize. The global environmental award was set up by the Prince of Wales together with The Royal Foundation.
After the meeting as quoted by Indian Express, a journalist asked the Prince how it felt to meet one of Bollywood’s biggest names. William first remarked that Johar was “modest,” then said the encounter was “really cool.” He described the director as an icon and credited him with helping the Earthshot Prize find its footing in India. “We want to make it a truly Indian Earthshot Prize. It’s the biggest one we’ve done,” he added.
The journalist followed up by asking whether he had seen any of Johar’s films, pointing out that many Britons grew up watching his classic Bollywood movies. William admitted he hadn’t, explaining that Johar was “being very modest,” and said he expected the director would introduce him to more of his work over time.
The journalist then recommended Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…, popularly known as K3G, and asked William to let Johar know he planned to watch it. The Prince agreed to pass the message on the next time they met. “Yeah, we all say K3G anyway. If you meet Karan again, ‘Tell him, I’m going to watch your film K3G, he’ll love you.'” “Okay got it, I’ll mention that too when I see him,” he said.
The Earthshot Prize is being held as a two-day summit, with the awards ceremony wrapping up on November 17, 2026. This marks the first time the global ceremony is taking place in India.
Busy times for Karan Johar
Back home, Johar is bringing his long-running chat show Koffee With Karan to a close. The final season opened with Salman Khan, who shared a number of stories as the two reflected on how the film industry has evolved. Next on the couch are fan-favourite couple Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, who are promoting their newly released film Ranabaali.
Johar has also unveiled a new chapter in his Student of the Year franchise, this time starring Shanaya Kapoor. Rather than the glossy campus rivalry audiences know, the story takes a much darker turn and arrives as a series on JioHotstar. Marking 14 years of the franchise, Johar described Student of the Year – After Dark as gritty, gory and unapologetically wild.