Birthday Special: Johar mein jo baat thi wo har kisi mein nahi ho sakti- "Bebaak, Nidar aur Gyaani"... BY ALI PETER JOHN By Team Bollyy 16 Feb 2022 | Updated On 16 Feb 2022 06:00 IST in Ali Peter John Golden Memories New Update Follow Us Share If there is a heaven , if I have the privilege of entering the gates of heaven and if I happen to meet God and if he asks me what that one thing was on earth that made my stay on earth worthwhile - Ali Peter John The column he wrote was a highlight of the magazine and was popular among the stars I will without thinking or blinking twice tell God that it was my meeting some of the most unusual and most talented men and women and if God asks me for a list of some of them , the name of I S Johar will certainly be among the top few. I know there may be many , especially those of the new generation will ask " I S Johar who ?" Knowing I S Johar as I knew him , I feel it is my honour and my duty to let I S Johar get all the credit that he so richly deserved and still deserves. I was first introduced to Johar by Johar himself . The name I S Johar who was the name behind a column he wrote for a leading film magazine in which he answered queries from readers and answered them in his witty , sarcastic , free , frank and fearless way . The column he wrote was a highlight of the magazine and was popular among the stars , superstars and even the common man. I who could only see the magazine once in a way when I visited the barber's shop and had grown into an addict of his column I who could only see the magazine once in a way when I visited the barber's shop and had grown into an addict of his column , but little did I know that I would one day stand face to face with I S Johar . I was walking to my OFFICE from Churchgate station to Nariman Point when I saw a man dressed in a safron robe and posting some letters in the post box on the road. People kept staring at him and kept trying to grab his attention . It took me only a minute to know that the man was I S Johar and he lived in the building near the post box which was called Lotus Court . My curiosity got the better of me and I introduced myself to him and I was baffled beyond my imagination when he asked me if I was the same man who wrote in Screen. My thrill doubled up when he asked me to join him for a cup of tea in his apartment I was already thrilled , but my thrill doubled up when he asked me to join him for a cup of tea in his apartment and I would have been mad and a complete idiot if I had not accepted his invitation. He was living alone and took me by shock when he said , " I have done away with all the unwanted baggage " ( he was referring to his family ). He then asked me if he could tell me something about himself and I could feel my ears standing at attention and the story of his life and work he told me over cups of tea made me forget all my responsibilities in OFFICE. When I told my colleagues about my unexpected meeting with Johar, they couldn't believe it and my boss said " how could you sit and tolerate that mad man for two hours ? " I told all of them that I found him to be the most sane man brilliant man . My editor Mr S S Pillai was an admirer of Johar and not only complimented me for meeting Johar who none of the other staffers wanted to meet because they said he humiliated them and insulted them with his sarcastic remarks . The article I wrote about Johar made me a good friend of Johar The article I wrote about Johar was published in a prominently by Mr Pillai and the article made me a good friend of Johar who I kept meeting very often and looked forward to my meetings with him. How can I describe a man who was beyond description . He was a writer , a director , a producer of both films and plays. He was a crusader for social causes, he was an idol- breaker who had no respect for frauds and pseudo intellectuals of any kind and he was the kind of comedian, the kind Indian cinema has never had and I am sure will never have. Just for the record , Johar had written the script of Afsana , the first film directed by B R Chopra He directed his own films like Nastik and then followed a number of films which had his name in the titles , films like Johar Mehmood In Goa. Johar Mehmood In Hong Kong, Johar In Kashmir Johar In Bombay and Mera Naam Johar. He had the audacity to create countries and places like Kashmir , Hong Kong and other exotic places within the studio's of Bombay . He had the courage to make films like Nasbandi based on the acttrocities committed by the government of Mrs Indira Gandhi during the Emergency and had the courage to face the consequences when the film was banned on the day it was released . He made a film called Jai Bangla Desh which was his attack on all that happened during the war of 1971 which led to the creation of Bangladesh. He directed plays which were against Mrs Gandhi's rule the Pakistani Prime Minister Z A Bhutto He made a spoof on the star system when he made 5 Five Rifles with poor dublicates of Amitaab Bachchan , Shashi Kapoor , Rajesh Khanna , and even Dev Anand. He directed plays which were against Mrs Gandhi's rule and even the Pakistani Prime Minister Z A Bhutto . He was a leader of the film industry but he couldn't tolerate the fake values and people who dominated the industry and when he could not take it he quit and said " this is an industry of the fools , for the fools and by the fools " Mrs Gandhi who was the I and B Minister then was addresing a meeting in Bombay and Johar was on the dais with her . He saw her taking a nap and stood up and said , " ye log hamaare baaton ko kya samhenge ya sunenge . Dekho madam toh yaha soyi hai". He had to face a harsh punishment for his " bad behaviour" Johar , the comedian was always at his best , but he will always be remembered for his roles in Johny Mera Naam It was the 25th year of Screen and the management wanted a message from Johar . My senior Me Desai called Johar and told him about what he wanted and Johar didn't take a second to say , " bahut hogaya bandh kardo " Johar , the comedian was always at his best , but he will always be remembered for his roles in Johny Mera Naam in which he played a triple role, Safar, Shagird and not to forget all his roles in his own films He was not a star , but some of the biggest stars were literally scared of sharing screen space with him , with the only exception of Mehmood . He was immediately cremated before the industry or anyone could know about his passing away I was preparing leave my OFFICE early to meet him at Lotus Court , but when I was about to enter the building , the security man told me that Johar had died and according to his wish, he was immediately taken to the Sion electric crematorium and was cremated before the industry or anyone could know about his passing away THERE WERE MANY MANY TRIBUTES PAID TO THE MAN WHO HATED TRIBUTES , BUT THE BEST AND GENUINE TRIBUTE WAS PAID BY MEHMOOD WHO FLEW DOWN FROM BANGALORE ONLY TO TELL ME , " JOHAR MEIN JO BAAT THI , WOH KISI AUR MEIN HO HI NAHI SAKTI " MEHMOOD WAS ECHOING THE FEELINGS OF MANY OF JOHAR S ADMIRERS , INCLUDING ME. More Photos of I S Johar: raj100 shown to user Related Articles Advertisment Latest Stories Read the Next Article