When Karan Johar revealed 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' was inspired by his true story of one-sided love

The 2016 movie 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' reminded several people about their one-sided love stories or crushes to whom they could never confess. However, did you know, it was inspired by filmmaker Karan Johar's true one-sided love story? Karan Johar, a notable face in the film world, said that 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' helped him “get over” an ex, who was, at that time, still alive in his “ecosystem”. While talking to Mid-Day in an old interview, Karan spoke of his ex-lover and said that he had overcome the break-up by working on his movie 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' with Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and Aishwarya Rai.

He confessed that he felt uneasy as the hero of the film would meet his end in such a tragic way, depicting the same anguish he went through after his breakup."The character obviously went through a fictional arc as well, but it was cathartic for me to tell that story because I felt that really helped me get over that love situation," Karan said.

Karan added, “Anyone who has been through one-sided love, ektarfa pyaar, that heartbreak. I saw the worst version of myself, not as a human being, but I was pitiful in that zone. When you stare at your phone waiting for it to ring, when you want that message and that message changes your day, when your heart really hurts – it’s a physical pain, it’s not just symbolic, it’s painful – and you wake up with that anxiety, and when you see that person with somebody else and it breaks you into a million pieces… You realise that love can make you and break you and tear you apart.”

Further, Karan claimed that even though some critics gave it bad reviews, the movie did hit the right chord with the audience. “I feel it strongly with the generation of today, who really take their love seriously. We call it the Tinder generation, the swipe right-swipe left generation, but people are really falling in love. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil had a polarising last act, but that concept of crazy love really resonated especially with Gen Z kids."

"I’m far from Gen Z, I found this crazy love in my late 30s and early 40s, and it just went on for years. But it gave me a film, it gave me closure, and it has now given me a lot of perspective of never to go back in that zone again,” he concluded.