When Zeenat Aman inaugurated Hiroo Johar’s fashion show, young Karan Johar was left starstruck—THROWBACK

When filmmaker Karan Johar looks back at his childhood, one particular memory from 1981 stands out vividly: a fashion exhibition organized by his mother, Hiroo Johar, and his aunts. With no prior experience in business or fashion, the women took a leap of ambition and curated a collection with a then up-and-coming designer named Abu Jani. The collection was given a heartfelt name, ALKAPRI, derived from the initials of their children—Alka, Karan, and Priyanka.

Sharing a black-and-white picture from the event on Instagram in May this year, Karan wrote, “Memories can be therapeutic … Wanted to share this one indelible memory I have … My mother and my aunts wanted to have an exhibition of clothes (not that they had any background in fashion or any business acumen at all… but props to them on ambition…).”

Zeenat Aman’s graceful presence

The highlight of the day, however, was the presence of Bollywood’s ultimate style icon, Zeenat Aman. Karan revealed that his mother requested the star to inaugurate the exhibition, and she graciously agreed. In the picture, Hiroo Johar and Zeenat are seen standing side by side, with a young, wide-eyed Karan peeking between them. Looking back at the snapshot, Karan admitted, “This image is of the day of the exhibition, and my mother requested @thezeenataman to inaugurate it, and she very graciously did so…. If you stare carefully, a starstruckand very much in awe of ZEENAT AMAN fan has photobombed the picture! (me!)”

Karan recalls sitting quietly in a corner

For Karan, that afternoon was more than just a family event; it was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with fashion and storytelling. He recalled sitting quietly in a corner, soaking in the glamour, conversations, and Abu Jani’s humor. “I look back and feel that was the beginning of my love story with fashion and the fashion industry… #thosewerethedays,” Karan confessed.