Karan Johar recently shared a heartfelt memory during the 78th Cannes Film Festival about his first and only encounter with cinematic legends Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese. The meeting took place in Shah Rukh Khan’s suite in Berlin during the promotions of Shutter Island (2010), where Scorsese and DiCaprio were guests. Johar recalled being awestruck, his “knees rattling,” as Scorsese discussed archiving Indian cinema with Shah Rukh. At that moment, Johar felt like just a fan, wondering if one day he might have a real conversation about cinema with Scorsese. My Name Is Khan was the opening film at that festival, and Johar even invited Scorsese to the screening, though he only promised to try to attend.
Fast forward to 2025, and Johar’s dream has come true in an extraordinary way. His production house, Dharma Productions, backed Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, which features Martin Scorsese as executive producer. The film premiered in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section at Cannes and received a nine-minute standing ovation. Johar expressed immense pride and disbelief at this milestone, saying it felt surreal to have Scorsese’s name alongside his own on a film. He described the moment as so special that he felt he could “die and go to heaven or hell” now that this dream was realized.
Overflowing with excitement, Johar admitted he couldn’t “act cool” about it and was simply thrilled beyond words.
Homebound, starring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa, is the only Indian feature film selected at Cannes this year, marking a significant achievement for Indian cinema and Johar’s career.
