While many cinephiles believe Karan Johar first appeared as an actor in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) or later in Bombay Velvet (2015), the filmmaker’s true acting debut dates back even further. As a teenager, Karan was part of the 1989 Doordarshan sci-fi series Indradhanush, which ran for just 13 episodes but became a cult favourite over time. Among his co-stars in the show was veteran theatre actor MM Faruqui, better known by his stage name, Lilliput.Karan wrote about a painful incident in An Unsuitable BoyIn his autobiography An Unsuitable Boy, Karan recalled how a remark from Lilliput on the sets of Indradhanush deeply impacted him. Referring to Karan’s mannerisms and what was perceived as effeminacy, Lilliput’s comment left the young actor shaken, enough for Karan to vow never to pursue acting again.Now, years later, Lilliput has responded to that memory during an interview with Red FM Podcasts, offering his side of the story.‘He was a kid… I said it with a clean heart’“He was just a kid at that time,” Lilliput began, adding that his intentions were never malicious. Drawing from his background in theatre, he explained that such feedback was often shared openly among actors.“In theatre, we are very honest. If someone is doing something wrong, we tell them directly, and usually, they don’t take it badly. Karan had a slightly feminine gesture, so I thought, ‘He’s a kid, if we tell him now, maybe he’ll adjust it and grow better from it.’ But I didn’t know the psychology behind it,” he said.
‘If I had known it hurt him, I would’ve apologised then and there’Lilliput admitted that he had no idea his remark had caused Karan such hurt. “In my mind, he was a talented kid doing good work. I thought, if he works on this, he’ll go even further. That was my intention. But it hurt him, and I didn’t know that.”He continued, “If I had known, I would’ve apologised right then and there. I never meant to hurt him. I said what I said with a clean heart. He took it badly — that’s his psychology.”Lilliput also expressed his willingness to apologise to Karan personally, should their paths ever cross. “If we meet sometime, I’ll apologise. No harm in doing that,” he concluded.
