Javed Akhtar, known for crafting some of Hindi cinema’s most iconic songs, once turned down the opportunity to work on Karan Johar’s debut film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai—all because he didn’t like the title. In a recent conversation on comedian Sapan Verma’s YouTube channel, Javed candidly reflected on his decision and the reasoning behind it, admitting he later regretted it.
Looking back on that time, Javed explained, “I consider the ’80s to be the darkest time for Hindi cinema. People were either writing double-meaning songs or songs with no meaning at all. I avoided films that, in any way, had lyrics I found absurd or vulgar. This principle led me to turn down a very successful film—Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. I had written the first song for it, but when Karan decided on the title, I refused to work on a film with that name. I thought, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai… kya hota hai? I regret it now, but at that time, I refused.”
Karan Johar had previously opened up about this decision in a conversation with designer Prabal Gurung on the Gold House YouTube channel. He shared that Javed later acknowledged his misjudgment. “Javed sahab had a problem with the title Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. We had a creative disagreement, and he told me, ‘I don’t feel like I can write the lyrics for this film’s songs,’ and it was very amicable. I told him that it is my desire to work with you, and he said, ‘We will work, Karan, another time.’ But when the film released, he called me and told me that he was wrong,” Karan revealed. Though they didn’t collaborate on Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, the two later worked together on Karan’s 2003 hit, Kal Ho Naa Ho.
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai became a massive success, both at the box office and in terms of its music. The film, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, and Rani Mukerji, went on to achieve cult status, and its soundtrack sold eight million copies in India, becoming the best-selling Bollywood album of the year.
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