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Karan Johar reveals Akshay Kumar speaks in Punjabi when he doesn't want others to understand

Akshay Kumar, a renowned Bollywood actor, reportedly uses Punjabi during negotiations to keep conversations private. Filmmaker Karan Johar shared this insight during the trailer launch of Dharma Productions' first Punjabi film, Akaal. Kumar’s use of Punjabi reflects his strategic approach to maintaining privacy in important discussions.

March 20, 2025 / 09:35 IST
Akshay Kumar and Karan Johar

Akshay Kumar, one of Bollywood’s most celebrated actors, reportedly switches to speaking in Punjabi during negotiations when he doesn’t want others to understand his conversation. This revelation was made by filmmaker Karan Johar during the trailer launch event of Dharma Productions’ first Punjabi film, Akaal.

Karan Johar recalled how, in his younger days, most directors and producers in Bollywood were Punjabi. He mentioned that his father, Yash Johar, also spoke to his crew in Punjabi.

“All the producers and directors came from Punjab. Whether it was Manmohan Desai’s set or Yash Chopra’s set or J Om Prakash’s set, everyone used to speak in Punjabi. The hero was Punjabi. The heroine was a South Indian. It was almost like a template,” he said.

Reflecting on his childhood, Karan shared an amusing anecdote about how his father spoke to distributors in Punjabi every morning. “My father used to speak to the distributors in Punjabi in the morning. I knew Punjabi very well, but my problem would be when my mother woke up and started speaking in Sindhi. That’s where I got confused. I completely understand Punjabi,” he added.

While discussing the Punjabi influence in Bollywood, Karan brought up Akshay Kumar’s habit of switching to Punjabi during business negotiations. He revealed, “Even today, when Apoorva Mehta is the main negotiator and Akshay Kumar doesn’t want Apoorva to know what he wants to say, he talks to me in Punjabi (laughs).”

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Apart from this interesting revelation, Karan Johar also spoke about the significance of Akaal for Dharma Productions. He expressed his excitement about the film’s release, saying, “Like they say in Jerry Maguire, ‘You had me at Hello.’ I’d say they had me at Gippy Grewal.” He praised Gippy Grewal for collaborating with Dharma Productions and thanked him for being a part of their first Punjabi-language venture.

Akaal is set to release in cinemas on April 10 in both Hindi and Punjabi, marking a significant milestone for Dharma Productions as it expands into regional cinema. With Akshay Kumar’s unique negotiation tactics and Karan Johar’s reflections on Bollywood’s Punjabi influence, this event shed light on the industry’s deep-rooted cultural connections.

Akshay Kumar, one of Bollywood’s most celebrated actors, reportedly switches to speaking in Punjabi during negotiations when he doesn’t want others to understand his conversation. This revelation was made by filmmaker Karan Johar during the trailer launch event of Dharma Productions’ first Punjabi film, Akaal.

Karan Johar recalled how, in his younger days, most directors and producers in Bollywood were Punjabi. He mentioned that his father, Yash Johar, also spoke to his crew in Punjabi.

“All the producers and directors came from Punjab. Whether it was Manmohan Desai’s set or Yash Chopra’s set or J Om Prakash’s set, everyone used to speak in Punjabi. The hero was Punjabi. The heroine was a South Indian. It was almost like a template,” he said.

Reflecting on his childhood, Karan shared an amusing anecdote about how his father spoke to distributors in Punjabi every morning. “My father used to speak to the distributors in Punjabi in the morning. I knew Punjabi very well, but my problem would be when my mother woke up and started speaking in Sindhi. That’s where I got confused. I completely understand Punjabi,” he added.

While discussing the Punjabi influence in Bollywood, Karan brought up Akshay Kumar’s habit of switching to Punjabi during business negotiations. He revealed, “Even today, when Apoorva Mehta is the main negotiator and Akshay Kumar doesn’t want Apoorva to know what he wants to say, he talks to me in Punjabi (laughs).”

Apart from this interesting revelation, Karan Johar also spoke about the significance of Akaal for Dharma Productions. He expressed his excitement about the film’s release, saying, “Like they say in Jerry Maguire, ‘You had me at Hello.’ I’d say they had me at Gippy Grewal.” He praised Gippy Grewal for collaborating with Dharma Productions and thanked him for being a part of their first Punjabi-language venture.

Akaal is set to release in cinemas on April 10 in both Hindi and Punjabi, marking a significant milestone for Dharma Productions as it expands into regional cinema. With Akshay Kumar’s unique negotiation tactics and Karan Johar’s reflections on Bollywood’s Punjabi influence, this event shed light on the industry’s deep-rooted cultural connections.

Entertainment desk -
first published: Mar 20, 2025 09:35 am

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