"I Don't Want You To See": Karan Johar Opens Up About Body Dysmorphia

Filmmaker Karan Johar opened up about his struggles with body dysmorphia in his latest interview. While talking with Faye D’Souza, Johar said that nothing has changed through the years and that he sought the help of a mental health professional to overcome his issues.

Speaking about feeling uncomfortable in his skin, the filmmaker disclosed about having body dysmorphia. He said he is very awkward getting into a pool, and didn’t know how to do it without feeling pathetic. He said it is the reason behind why he is always in oversized clothes.

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“Even if I lose the weight, and I try very hard, I’m always battling with it, but I’m always feeling I’m fat. So I don’t want you to see any part of my body,” he said.

Johar further added that even while entering the pool with his closest friends, he stays in his robe until the last minute. “Nothing has changed since I was eight. I self-body shame myself all the time. The day you feel you’re looking good…doesn’t matter what you’ve achieved. Even in situations of intimacy, I need to put the lights out. I’ve been to therapy for it. All these issues…all fester and create mental health issues. I even took medication after suffering from a panic attack,” he said.

Body dysmorphia is a condition when a person has obsessive thoughts about what they perceive as flaws in their appearance. These may be minor or even undetectable to others but cause significant anxiety and distress to the person concerned.

Although the mental disorder has no known cause, factors like bullying, teasing, low self-esteem, anxiety can contribute significantly to develop a negative self-image, or body dysmorphia.

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This is not the first time the director has opened up about his mental health. While speaking to PTI, during the promotion of Koffee With Karan, he said anything can happen to anyone.

“It doesn’t mean you need a trigger, sometimes it is a result of many things, sometimes there’s a trigger. When I spoke about my anxiety, it was to share a part of life that exists. That exists today as well, while I speak. I’ve no fear in saying that I’m on medication,” said Johar.

On work front, Johar’s Dharma Productions released Kill this Friday. He has also produced Bad Newz, which will hit theatres on July 19.