Karan Johar has opened up about a specific wish: a partner to share everyday experiences, celebrate milestones and raise his twins, Yash and Roohi. But ironically, he does not want to get married.

During his recent Koffee With Karan Season 9 episode with Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, he revealed that becoming a parent does not require marriage.  

After Vijay spoke about his relationship with Rashmika Mandanna, he asked the same question to the filmmaker. 

“I would like to have a partner. I would like to be in a relationship. Marriage, I think, technically may not be a possibility,” Karan replied. 

He then described the kind of relationship he wanted. He hoped for someone who could share the ordinary moments of his day, celebrate his achievements and be a parent to his twins.

The filmmaker added that he wanted someone he could call his own while feeling loved, respected and complete.

Karan Johar welcomed Yash and Roohi through surrogacy in February 2017. In a 2020 Instagram post marking their third birthday, the filmmaker described himself as a single parent and said his mother co-parented the twins with him.

Karan Johar is the first Bollywood personality to embrace parenthood without marriage. Many have become parents through adoption or surrogacy.

Bollywood Personalities Who Are Single Parents 

1. Tusshar Kapoor 

Actor Tusshar Kapoor chose fatherhood without marriage. In 2016, he welcomed his son, Laksshya, through IVF and surrogacy. 

In an interview with Meri Saheli, Tusshar Kapoor explained that he liked the idea of marriage but did not consider it the right path for himself.

“I completely believe in marriage as an institution, but it wasn’t for me. My calling was to become a father,” he said.

He also recalled how filmmaker Prakash Jha helped him consider the possibility of becoming a single parent. He said that the two had a conversation about parenthood while travelling to Tirupati. 

He subsequently consulted doctors and took the process forward.

Kapoor has also spoken about explaining different family structures to Laksshya. He told The Indian Express that he wanted his son to understand that families can take different forms and that there is no single definition of a normal family.

(Image Credit: TDJ Graphics)

2. Ekta Kapoor

Ekta Kapoor, one of Indian television's most influential producers, welcomed her son, Ravie, through surrogacy in January 2019.

In an interview with Pinkvilla, Ekta revealed that she had frozen her eggs at the age of 36. She revealed that she wanted to be a mother but did not want marriage to dictate when she could have a child.

“I thought I might get married, might not. Very late, if it happens. Or it may never happen because I am not gonna do anything just for the sake of it,” she said.

Ekta also revealed that seeing her brother Tusshar become a single father helped her consider the same route. 

(Image Credit: TDJ Graphics)

3. Sushmita Sen

Sushmita Sen chose to be a mother at the age of 24. She adopted her elder daughter, Renee, in 2000, and welcomed her second daughter, Alisah, in 2010. 

However, her adoption journey was not easy. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Sen recalled the legal battle she faced as an unmarried woman seeking to adopt Renee. 

She said the process began when she was 21 and continued until she was 24. She revealed that during the proceedings, a judge warned her father that adopting a child could affect her prospects of marriage.

But her father, Shubeer Sen, stood by her decision. Recalling his response to the judge, the actor said he had made it clear that he had not raised his daughter merely to become someone's wife. The court eventually approved the adoption.

Sen consistently described motherhood as a personal calling rather than a decision dependent on marriage. In a 2019 interview with The Indian Express, she explained that she did not adopt as charity, but to bring stability to her life. 

“The wisest decision I made at the age of 24 was to become a mother,” she said.

(Image Credit: TDJ Graphics)

The experiences of Karan Johar, Tusshar, Ekta Kapoor and Sushmita Sen show that marriage and parenthood do not need to follow each other. 

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Do you think society is becoming more accepting of families that do not follow the conventional route?

FAQs

Q1. How did Karan Johar become a father?

A1. Karan Johar welcomed twins Yash and Roohi through surrogacy in February 2017.

Q2. Which Bollywood celebrities became parents without marriage?

A2. Karan Johar, Tusshar Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor became parents through surrogacy, while Sushmita Sen adopted her daughters Renee and Alisah.

Q3. How many children does Sushmita Sen have?

A3. Sushmita Sen has two adopted daughters, Renee and Alisah.