I was ungraceful towards Kangana: KJo regrets chanting 'nepotism rocks' at IIFA 2017

Ace director took full responsibility for the joke which was 'entirely his idea'

Bollywood hit new low with ungraceful remarks on Kangana Ranaut in regards to nepotism.

Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan and Saif Ali Khan while hosting the IIFA this year in New York made comments about nepotism and Kangana in bad taste. The trio has come under a lot of fire for their nepotism barbs as they chanted "Nepotism rocks" on stage.



After that Varun Dhawan took to Twitter to apologise for the tasteless act, Karan Johar has apologised in an interview with NDTV, reports India Today.

The director accepted the full responsibility for the joke which was ‘entirely his idea.’

Karan said he ‘obviously doesn’t think that nepotism rocks.’ “Of course I don’t believe that ‘nepotism rocks’. Of course, I believe that only talent rocks. If anything that rocks, it’s your talent, hard work and conviction. It’s the energy you bring to your job. What we said was meant to be a joke, which I think has been misplaced, misunderstood and I think it went wrong. I regret it,” he said.

“The idea of that joke was entirely mine, so I take onus of the idea of what we said. And I think we went a bit too far with the Kangana mention,” he added.



He went on to address his ‘issues with Kangana’ in the interview, “No matter what I say or feel about my issues with what Kangana said on my talk show Koffee With Karan, I think I was raised to be a dignified, a chivalrous, and a decent person. That’s the upbringing that I was given and I feel that I failed on those accounts. I felt that no matter what my thoughts or personal issues on this, I should not have repeatedly brought that up. For that, I’m deeply regretful.”

Karan added that he had been "ungraceful" and failed the upbringing he was given. “I want to once and for all say and close this chapter after this and subsequently I will not speak about nepotism nor Kangana because it would be distrustful for her and it would be ungraceful at my end, which I’ve already been. Nepotism is easy access, nobody can deny that, but what you do with that access is what molds you into a professional.”



Karan and Saif Ali Khan, who were hosting the gala, revisited the much-talked about nepotism issue that started in Bollywood when actor Kangana Ranaut branded Karan as a “flagbearer of nepotism” on his chat show Koffee With Karan.

When Varun joined the two actors on stage at the Metlife Stadium to receive the Best Performance in a Comic Role for Dishoom, Saif joked that the actor had made it big in the industry because of his father. “You are here because of your papa,” Saif quipped. Varun said, “And you’re here because of your mummy (veteran actor Sharmila Tagore).”

Karan then promptly added, “I am here because of my papa (late film-maker Yash Johar).” They then said in unison, “Nepotism rocks”. The trio then broke into Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham song, ‘Bole Churiyan, Bole Kangana’, to which Karan said “Kangana na hi bole toh accha hai (It’s better if Kangana doesn’t speak).”

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