I was speaking to [son] Karan [Johar] earlier in the day [Saturday, June 26, the day Yash Johar passed away], and he said it would take a day or two to decide on his health [Johar was admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on June 19, and was diagnosed with severe chest infection]. Now he is no more.
For me it is really as if a father figure passed away. I worked with him only in one film, Duplicate, but I have been able to approach him with any problem and he has always sorted it out for me -- be it income tax or any legal matter.
I only had to call him. He would put everything else aside, heard me out, and do whatever necessary to help. It is difficult to express how much it means to have a shoulder to lean on in times of trouble. That was what Yash Uncle was to me and, I suspect, to many others, too.
Also Read: Noted filmmaker Yash Johar cremated
Though he saw so much success, he remained grounded. I am just happy he was there to see his son's success and achievements.
He started life from the grassroots level and moved on to become one of the biggest producers in the country. His son has imbibed his values from him.
The sincerity Yash Uncle showed to anyone who came into his life was remarkable. You will hear everyone say that he treated them like family. That is not an exaggeration at all. He really was generous in his affections.
I remember, during the shooting of Duplicate, Juhi Chawla's mother passed away. At great financial loss to himself, he did everything to bring the body home to India, to support Juhi. I know they were to shoot some songs there, but he stopped everything to sort things out for Juhi. Time, money etc, nothing mattered more than human relationships.
He was a gem of a person and towered high as a human being. I don't think Yash Uncle let anyone down in his life; others may have taken advantage of him and let him down, but he would still be smiling..
I remember during the International Indian Film Awards, everyone paid tribute to him this year in Singapore, but when his son Karan spoke of his father, you could see he was confronting the fact that his father was critically ill [with cancer].
I pray for Karan and his mother who require support at this time. May god give them the strength to bear this loss.
Anu Malik spoke to Lata Khubchandani
