'Shah Rukh Khan is my only friend': Karan Johar dismisses talk of Bollywood camps, says actors don’t return money when films flop

Despite facing years of criticism for allegedly promoting nepotism and fostering cliques within Bollywood, Karan Johar has now spoken out against the very idea of “Bollywood camps.” In a candid conversation with film trade analyst Komal Nahta on his YouTube show Game Changers, the filmmaker set the record straight, pointing out that the industry’s so-called friendships are mostly transactional — and that actors rarely share in the financial burden when a film fails.

Despite facing years of criticism for allegedly promoting nepotism and fostering cliques within Bollywood, Karan Johar has now spoken out against the very idea of “Bollywood camps.” In a recent interview, the filmmaker set the record straight, pointing out that the industry’s so-called friendships are mostly transactional — and that actors rarely share in the financial burden when a film fails.

‘Friendships in the industry are only for parties’

“No actor says, ‘My last two films didn’t work, so I’m returning your money.’ No one returns money — they only take from you,” Karan said on Game Changers, adding that personal equations rarely extend beyond the professional. “Dosti (friendship) has never benefited me in my professional life. Actors are lovely people at parties, but they all mean business. Even I’m in the industry for business, not charity.”

The Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani director also spoke about how even those stars he introduced to the industry maintain purely professional relationships with him — barring one. “Except for Shah Rukh Khan… I feel strongly about him as a friend, a human being, collaborator, and a brother. He’s the only person who has never spoken about money with me or my father (Yash Johar). When I approach him as a director, he doesn’t even want to hear the script — he just says, ‘Send the paper, I’ll sign it.’ Money has never been a topic of discussion between us,” Karan revealed.

‘Actors won’t go below their market price’

Speaking about the financial dynamics within the industry, Karan stated that while an actor might occasionally shave off a crore or two from their fees, they never compromise beyond a point. “Even if you launched them, they won’t go below their market price,” he noted, underlining the growing business-first approach among talent today.

‘Where are these camps?’

Dismissing the notion that Bollywood operates through tight-knit camps, Karan explained that collaboration across studios and banners is now the norm. “We collaborate with everyone — YRF, Maddock, Excel, Nadiadwala, T-Series. So, where are these camps? My closest friend, Shah Rukh Khan, and I haven’t worked together in 15 years. Does that mean we’re no longer friends?” he asked. Using Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, and Sidharth Malhotra — the trio he launched with Student of the Year (2012) — as examples, Karan said all three have gone on to work with diverse production houses. “I’m tired of talking about camps and nepotism. I don’t even justify anything now,” he concluded.