Mumbai, Jan 19 (AHN) Bollywood multi-hyphenate Karan Johar has joined the social media trend of sharing the fondest memories of 2016. On Monday, KJo took to his Instagram, and shared a series of pictures from 2016, a definitive year that brought him joy and growth.

He shared BTS picture from his directorial ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’, images from season 5 of his chat show ‘Koffee With Karan’, ‘⁠⁠India’s Got Talent’ and IIFA Awards.

He also penned a long note in the caption, as he wrote, “It’s 2016 again and looking at these memories is making me feel nostalgic beyond words!!! 1.⁠ ⁠My film ADHM came out in 2016 and I think there was no better feeling than being back on the director’s chair for this one, working with my favourite people on set!! 2.⁠ ⁠⁠KWK S5, chaotic, unhinged & madness…that was the season in a gist. 3.⁠ ⁠⁠Attended the Toronto Film Festival for an extremely delightful segment of ‘In Conversation With…’ that gave me a good rear view mirror of my career and a self map to where I wanted to go… 4.⁠ ⁠⁠India’s Got Talent with these two firecrackers!!! 5.⁠ ⁠⁠And hosting the IIFA Awards with the wonderful Shahid”.

KJo witnessed one of his best years in 2016. While ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ became one of his more relevant stories, it was also mired in controversy. The controversy erupted amid rising India–Pakistan tensions following the Uri attack. The film featured Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, which led to protests by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The party demanded a ban on Pakistani artists in Indian films and threatened to block the movie’s release in Maharashtra.

Cinema owners were pressured, and Johar faced intense public and political backlash. The matter escalated to the Bombay High Court, which refused to impose a blanket ban on Pakistani artists. Eventually, a compromise was reached, Karan Johar issued a public statement expressing regret for casting Pakistani talent and pledged not to work with Pakistani artistes in the future. ADHM released in October 2016 but the episode sparked a larger industry-wide debate on artistic freedom, nationalism, and the politicisation of cinema in India.