Karan Johar Reflects on 'Heartbreaking' Shelving of Ambitious Film 'Takht,' Cites Pandemic and Technical Challenges

Karan Johar recently revisited one of the most ambitious projects of his career—Takht. Once envisioned as a grand period drama with a star-studded ensemble, the film was shelved in the wake of the pandemic. At a press meet in Mumbai, the filmmaker opened up about the heartbreak of putting it aside, the lessons it taught him, and why he still hopes the story will find its time.Karan opened up about his shelved dream project, sharing that he had invested nearly two and a half years researching and developing a grand period drama. Written by Sumit Roy, the film was ready to take off, but the pandemic and other circumstances forced him to pause the project—a setback he described as truly heartbreaking.The filmmaker added that every film has its own time and destiny, hinting that stories come to life only when they’re meant to. With his trademark wit, he joked about still being “very young” before noting that someday, in the course of his career, he might finally bring such a film to the screen.He also admitted that mounting a film of such scale requires immense technical mastery and conviction, something he isn’t entirely sure he possesses. Pointing to filmmakers like Karthik Gattamneni, he humbly said he feels more like a student than a filmmaker. Praising Baahubali and the upcoming Mirai, Karan acknowledged that it’s wiser to accept one’s limitations than to pretend otherwise.The star-studded ensemble comprised Ranveer Singh (Dara Shukoh), Vicky Kaushal (Aurangzeb), Anil Kapoor (Shah Jahan), Kareena Kapoor Khan (Jahanara Begum), Alia Bhatt (Dilras Banu Begum), Janhvi Kapoor (Nadira Banu Begum) and Bhumi Pednekar (Roshanara Begum).