Karan Johar in New York for My Name is Khan

Karan Johar is currently in New York for the release of the English version of My Name Is Khan in two theatres of New York on May 5.

"It is meant for the non-NRI audience. Its crisper sharper cut and we hope to create a new market for Bollywood films," says Karan.

Karan Johar who left for New York for three weeks on Tuesday night has discovered a new side to his personality that he never knew existed. Hosting the show Lift Kara De which ended last week, he discovered how little people from privileged classes gave to the needy.

Says Karan, "I don't know how successful the show was. But it put me in touch with the real world. The show was about philanthropy and I understood the joy there is in giving. To meet all those needy individuals who came on the show connected me to a reality that most of us in the entertainment industry are cut off from the outside world."

Karan was also bowled over by the amazing connectivity between the audience and the stars.

Says Karan, "Akshay Kumar with whom I recorded my last episode of Lift Kara De has such an amazing and genuine bonding with his fans. Who says stars don't care for the common man?"

Though the TRPs of Lift Kara De were not too encouraging Karan decided after hosting the show is to make a cinema that is reflective of a far larger truth than the elitist lifestyle his characters almost always assume.

Immediately on the anvil after his return from New York is Season 3 of Koffee With Karan. "I start work on that in July. But it won't be in the same chatty mood any more. I think two recent events my film My Name Is Khan and to a lesser extent the TV show Lift Kara De has made me less self-centered. They've made me look outward into the world outside."