Karan Johar shares hilarious story of Akshay Kumar speaking in Punjabi to keep secrets from Apoorva Mehta

Karan Johar and Akshay Kumar

Karan Johar, who is preparing to produce his first Punjabi film, Akaal, under the Dharma Productions banner, shared a funny anecdote about Akshay Kumar's habit of speaking in Punjabi to keep conversations private, especially from producer Apoorva Mehta.

Karan amusingly recalled that whenever Akshay doesn’t want Apoorva to know what he’s saying, he switches to Punjabi, much to the amusement of everyone present. It’s a quirky trait that has become a part of their dynamic, adding a lighthearted touch to their work relationships.

At the trailer launch of Akaal, Karan mentioned, “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).”

Karan further reflected on the deep-rooted Punjabi influence in Bollywood, highlighting that many iconic producers and directors, like Manmohan Desai, Yash Chopra, and J Om Prakash, hailed from Punjab.

He noted, “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.”

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On a personal note, Karan reminisced about his family’s linguistic background, saying, “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.”

Meanwhile, Karan expressed his excitement about Dharma Productions’ first Punjabi film, Akaal, which stars Gippy Grewal. During the trailer launch on 18 March, he shared his enthusiasm, stating, “Like they say in Jerry Maguire, ‘You had me at Hello.’ I’d say they had me at Gippy Grewal.”

The highly anticipated film will hit cinemas on 10 April in both Hindi and Punjabi, marking a significant milestone for Dharma Productions as they venture into the Punjabi film industry.