Karan Johar remembers late father with birthday tribute

Indian filmmaker Karan Johar wished his late father a happy birthday with simplicity and humorous charm.

In a series of nostalgic pictures posted to his Instagram, Johar shared touching memories ranging from his first designer purchase after the release of his hit film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai to his father's final days.

"Happy birthday papa, miss you everyday," the filmmaker captioned his post.

"I remember Kuch Kuch Hota Hai had released and I decided to buy my very first designer jacket in celebration!" the filmmaker said. He added that he visited a Burberry store "and bought the only jacket that fit me (those were my mega plus-size days)."

Johar stated that he wore the jacket "and in my head I was looking rather smashing." His father, however, looked at him perplexed and said, "Son, what is this?" He then jokingly remarked in Punjabi, "Beta yeh Burberry nahi … bohat buri hai."

"That was my father — rooted, basic and very, very funny," he said.

The filmmaker further shared how his father was his biggest fan. "Even when I looked like I had eaten an entire country … he would say, 'You are so handsome — you become a hero!!'" Johar shared.

He concluded his walk down memory lane by sharing the harsh reality of his father's final days, when he was undergoing chemotherapy. "In his last days, he told me post his chemo session, 'I don't want to leave mom and you, but I feel like I am going to. Just promise me you will always be kind. Success means nothing if you're not kind,'" Johar recalled.

He ended his post by reflecting on the lasting impact of his father's death. "He left a void in my life 22 years ago that I refuse to fill and I never will. When you lose a parent, you gain a God. He is my God," the filmmaker wrote.

Celebrities including designer Manish Malhotra and actor Kareena Kapoor expressed their love in the comments section.

Johar made his directorial debut with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998 and is well-known for his chat show Koffee With Karan. Earlier this month, he wrapped up the second season of reality show The Traitors and is reportedly set to film two back-to-back films, featuring an intense love story and a grand family saga.