Renowned filmmaker Karan Johar recently shed light on his decision to sell 50% of Dharma Productions’ stakes to Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, for Rs 1,000 crore. In a candid podcast with Raj Shamani, Johar clarified the strategic motives behind the move, dispelling rumors of financial distress and addressing the performance of his recent films.
Karan Johar reveals 50% Dharma stake sale was for “expansion and growth,” not financial need: “I want to make films on my own”
Johar explained that the decision was driven by a vision for growth rather than necessity. “The reason why I sold stakes was not because mujhe paison ki zaroorat thi, it was actually because I wanted to grow and expand Dharma,” he stated. He outlined plans to diversify the production house’s portfolio, including launching a distributorship and a music label. “I wanted to start a distributorship; that is why we hired Bhumika Tiwari. I wanted to start my own music label. I want to make films on my own, so it’s whole profitability belongs to me,” Johar asserted.
Addressing the performance of Dharma’s recent films, Johar acknowledged the box-office failure of Jigra but maintained that the production house had a strong track record in 2024. “Saal me do-teen picturein nahi chalti hai, but log social media ki wajah se ek perspective bana lete hain. Last year was very profitable for us and only one film, Jigra, had not work,” he said.
The filmmaker’s remarks also touched on the broader context of Dharma’s financial strategy. A few months ago, Johar had explained his focus on mid-budget films, which he believes offer higher profitability. “It’s the middle-budget film, where the cost-to-profit ratio is super high. Those are the films that you can fund entirely on your own, and you can enjoy and reap the benefits of the big breakthrough profits. I believe the real bread and butter, the real money comes from middle-budget films,” he had said.
The partnership with Poonawalla, finalized in October 2024, values Dharma Productions at Rs 2,000 crore. Johar remains the Executive Chairman, steering the company’s creative vision, while CEO Apoorva Mehta oversees strategic and operational aspects. The deal has sparked varied reactions, with some praising Johar’s forward-thinking approach and others questioning the timing, given Dharma’s reported revenue dip of 50% in 2023-2024, with profits dropping to Rs 59 lakh, according to a Tofler report.
Despite the financial challenges, Johar’s latest projects signal a busy slate ahead. His recent film Kesari Chapter 2 is struggling at the box office, but upcoming releases include NagZilla with Kartik Aaryan. Additionally, Dharma announced a new romantic comedy, Chand Mera Dil, featuring Ananya Panday and Lakshya, set for release in 2025.
BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2025 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.