4 min readNew DelhiMay 27, 2026 08:20 AM IST
Karan Johar sold 50 percent stake of Dharma Productions to Adar Poonawalla in 2024 and in a recent interview, Karan shared that way before this, he was once encouraged to go for an IPO for his company, but he decided against it. Dharma Productions was started by Karan’s father, producer Yash Johar, and the filmmaker said that before his passing, Yash told his son to never go for an IPO as it was “not in our culture or nature.”
Karan was in conversation with the YouTube channel The BarberShop with Shantanu where he was discussing his brand Tyaani Jewellery. Talking about Dharma, Karan shared that it took him many years to get to a point where he could sell a stake in his film company, and even then, he was wary of many things. “It took me so many years to sell some stake in Dharma. I took it to a point, but I am still actively working and giving my be-all and end-all to that brand,” he said.
‘No way we are going to have an IPO’
When talking about the idea of going public with an IPO, Karan dismissed that thought for Tyaani, and revealed that he never entertained that thought for Dharma as well. “There is no way we are going to have an IPO. That is not something I am looking at at all. That’s something that my father told me many moons ago, before he passed. He said, ‘Just don’t do it. It’s not in our nature or culture’, which is why when I was told to go for a IPO for Dharma, I said, ‘I can’t. I want to be accountable to very few people’,” he said.
Talking about the time when he was selling 50 percent stake to Adar Poonawalla, Karan said that he was “offended” when lawyers discussed an “exit clause.” “They told me exit clause… And I was offended. I said, ‘Why would I leave? This is my passion. I want to die on a film set’. They explained that the exit clause is compulsory. Apoorva (Mehta), my CEO and my best friend, he said, ‘Why are you getting so emotional? No one is asking you to stop this business’. But I was like, ‘How dare they suggest an exit clause?’ I didn’t know that this was parlance. You are meant to have that in your contract and be protected because you never know what life has ahead of you,” he said.
‘Rs 5-7 lakh ring looks like it could cost Rs 50 lakh’
In the same chat, Karan spoke about his involvement with Tyaani as well and said that he is personally obsessed with jewellery and he came up with the idea of men wearing massive rings. He shared that a ring from the brand, which costs Rs 5-7 lakh, sometimes looks like it might cost Rs 50 lakh-1 crore. “You will be surprised by the cost of the ring vs the impact. I have had people think it’s worth a crore and then I call and say, ‘How much is this for?’ and it would be Rs 5-7 lakh. But people say, ‘How expensive is this!’ and I am looking at it and thinking it’s not that expensive. And I have been to big weddings, and people have seen those rings, and it looks like it could be Rs 50 lakh,” he said.
DISCLAIMER: This is a factual, entertainment-focused editorial piece based on a creative professional’s personal business journey, and does not constitute formal financial guidance, stock recommendations, or investment advice. Readers should consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment or business decisions.
