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It's no secret that Karan Johar and SRK are good friends. So much so that the director claims he has called dibs on launching Shah Rukh's son, Aryan Khan when he's ready to step into the acting arena.

The director dished in a Hindustan Times interview, "Shah Rukh is beyond family to me. In fact, my equation with him has moved from him to his kids now. I always tell him that I am going to maintain my youth quotient only because I want to launch Aryan. No one else can launch Aryan but me (smiles).”

Johar, who had planned to be a costume director initially, credits his career as an esteemed filmmaker to SRK, along with Dilwale Dulhania Lejaye Ge director Aditya Chopra.

"Shah Rukh was the one who felt that I could be a film-maker. Working with him hasn’t just been an honour but a big thing for my career. When he chose me, it was a big deal for me. Working with him has taught me everything about movies. His technical expertise and intuition as an actor has made me a better film-maker. It was them who made me realize that perhaps I have the potential to become a director. Otherwise, it didn’t cross my mind."

Johar stepped into the world of direction, at the young age of 26, with his first feature film, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which went on to become a cult rom-com.

"Luckily, for me, I was working with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol; I already knew them very well but when I shot with Salman (Khan), I was very stressed for those 12 days as I had never worked with him. He had a very strong equation with my dad (late Yash Johar; producer) so he was absolutely fantastic. There were never any hurdles during KKHH. It was the most seamless film-making experience I had ever had."

As his father was the famous Yash Johar, often Karan has come under the crossfire for having had everything handed to him on a silver platter, something he dismisses: "I worked as hard, if not harder, as other people. It’s just that I don’t like to act like I am working hard. I have had my own internal struggles. Not having a sad story doesn’t mean one hasn’t struggled. I have had my own journey while climbing the ladder of success. Emotionally, it has been a tough road for me."

He adds that filling his father's shoes hasn't been easy either.

"Maintaining your success isn’t easy in an industry that is so competitive and ambitious; living up to your father’s legacy isn’t either. It has been daunting, but I can’t make my struggle sympathy-worthy. Creating a name for oneself is never easy. It takes a huge amount of energy, discipline and sincerity to create a space for yourself."

Johar is currently in the UK, filming his directorial comeback after a three year hiatus, titled Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. The ''timeless romance'' might see Ranbir playing the role opposite Aishwarya as her love interest so one thing for sure, like K-Jo's previously flicks, there will be many lovestruck heroes. Fawad Khan, Imran Abbas and Anushka Sharma will also be appearing in the movie.