For years, there have been murmurs in the industry about a cold equation between critically acclaimed actor Manoj Bajpayee and filmmaker Karan Johar.

The speculation gained new traction recently when Karan, while praising some of Prime Video’s top shows at the event of ‘The Traitors’, noticeably left out ‘The Family Man’—a Manoj-led series widely regarded as one of the platform’s best. This omission hasn’t gone unnoticed. A recent social media post reignited buzz around their long-rumoured feud, even delving into the possible reasons behind the alleged fallout.

Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), a social media user by the handle name ‘Bala’, called out Kjo’s “Pattern of Power Abuse in Bollywood,” while highlighting how he skipped mentioning ‘The Family Man’s name and why. In a long thread, the user wrote: “At a recent Traitors event, Karan praised several hit Amazon Prime shows — but pointedly left out The Family Man, one of India’s most acclaimed series. Why? Because its lead, Manoj Bajpayee, is someone Karan reportedly holds a grudge against. A petty, personal feud (sic.)”

Did a Dharma role rejection by Manoj’s wife trigger the feud?

According to the tweet, the social media user claimed that the reason behind the feud between Kjo and the ‘Satya’ actor is said to be the latter’s wife. “Years ago, when Manoj’s wife Shabana Raza declined a role from Karan, he allegedly told her: ‘You people who come from outside will be just flukes,’” said the user, calling Karan’s elitist attitude “emblematic of how Bollywood punishes those without industry backing”.

Furthermore, the user in his thread claimed that a staffer at Karan’s Dharma Productions also allegedly insulted Manoj for turning down an offer in the past. He said that despite winning several National Film Awards, Manoj has never been invited to Karan’s popular celebrity chat show, ‘Koffee With Karan’. “Worse, when he turned down a Dharma role, a staffer reportedly insulted him. This isn’t coincidence. It’s a pattern of professional bullying,” he wrote in the tweet.

The user also went on to claim how many actors in the industry, including Kartik Aaryan, Kangana Ranaut, late Sushant Singh Rajput, among others, have also suffered in the past. He further called out Karan for smiling on the screen, but “behind it, he’s been accused of sabotaging careers he couldn’t control.”

Meanwhile, on the work front, Manoj will be next seen in the third installment of ‘The Family Man’ which also stars Sharib Hashmi and Priyamani in pivotal roles. The third season is scheduled for release in November 2025.

Karan, on the other hand, is presently being seen as a host on Prime Video’s recently released reality show ‘The Traitors’.