The well-known director and CEO of Dharma Productions, Karan Johar, recently made news for a significant economic decision: he sold a 50% share in his firm to Serene Productions, owned by billionaire Adar Poonawalla, for an astounding ₹1,000 crore.

Johar recently spoke candidly about his experience negotiating the purchase, saying that the intricate economic terms and ideas left him “traumatized.”

Known for his artistic flare in the film business, Karan Johar acknowledged that the sessions’ use of technical language was overpowering.

“I was unaware of my worth. “I discovered,” he admitted. An ocean of words like “put,” “call,” “drag,” and “tag” overwhelmed the director, who is more used to the creative side of business.

Jokingly, he said, “I know ‘tag’ in the price tag I pay in the retail zone,” comparing his interpretation of these terms to their retail connotation. He was thus often confused by the complex financial models and Excel sheets that were shown to him, which stood in sharp contrast to his creative realm.

Johar was very pleased by Poonawalla’s business style, despite the first shock. He recalled how they completed a big portion of the sale during a Zoom session and called the entrepreneur’s energy “almost inspirational.”

“Okay, where do we sign?” he replied after asking a few questions. “Johar said.” Poonawalla’s handling of the sale was straightforward and effective, in stark contrast to Johar’s years of consideration. “If I could have afforded it, I would have loved to conduct business in this manner,” Johar said.

Johar’s feeling of duty has also been significantly impacted by the collaboration with Poonawalla. He disclosed that he is now more responsible to his firm than ever as a result of the purchase.

He said, “It’s given me exciting sleepless nights.” He noted that Poonawalla’s participation has introduced a new dimension of responsibility that neither his late father, director Yash Johar, nor his boyhood buddy and Dharma CEO Apurva Mehta could impart.