For me, my country comes first. Nothing else matters but my

The words of Karan Johar—“For me, my country comes first. Nothing else matters but my country. I always felt that the best way to express your patriotism is to spread love, and that's all I ever tried to do through my work and my cinema”—resound like an oath spoken not only by an artist, but by a custodian of culture. In them, we hear a profound truth: that devotion to one’s country need not always be shown in the battlefield or the parliament—it may be expressed in the realm of imagination, in stories that bind people together, in acts of love that carry the spirit of a nation beyond its borders. His words remind us that patriotism is not confined to flags and slogans, but to the quiet, enduring power of art to shape the soul of a people.

From the dawn of civilization, the ancients have recognized that a nation is not merely its armies or rulers, but the stories it tells, the songs it sings, the values it cultivates. When Johar speaks of cinema, he speaks of modern myth-making—the weaving of tales that nurture identity, hope, and unity. Just as Homer’s epics preserved the memory of Greece, and Kalidasa’s poetry carried the grandeur of India’s spirit, so too does film, in our age, become a vessel of patriotism. It is a mirror, but also a lamp: it reflects who we are, and it lights the path of who we might yet become.

But Johar’s wisdom lies also in his pairing of patriotism with love. Too often, the cry of love for one’s country has been used to justify hatred of another. Too often, patriotism has been twisted into suspicion, division, and the narrowing of the heart. By reminding us that the truest expression of loyalty is to spread love, he reclaims patriotism as a force not of destruction but of creation. For what strengthens a nation more—rivalry and anger, or compassion and unity? The greatest patriots are not those who shout loudest, but those who build bridges where others would raise walls.

History offers examples of this higher form of patriotism. Consider Rabindranath Tagore, who, though critical of blind nationalism, infused his art with a love of country so profound that his songs became anthems for nations. His words did not stir men to hatred but to harmony. Or think of Mahatma Gandhi, who declared that his patriotism was inseparable from his humanity; he could not serve India by despising others, but only by serving with love, even toward those who opposed him. These were patriots not of the sword alone, but of the heart, whose legacy endures long after the tumult of politics has faded.

In this sense, Johar’s declaration is not merely personal, but universal. It teaches us that each person, in their own way, can serve their country. The soldier serves through sacrifice, the leader through governance, and the artist through creation. Each act, when infused with love, becomes an offering to the homeland. To live with integrity, to elevate others through one’s labor, to sow harmony rather than discord—this, too, is patriotism.

The lesson is clear: let your devotion to your country be measured not only in words, but in the goodness you spread. Do not confuse loyalty with anger, or strength with hatred. True patriotism is not about diminishing others, but about uplifting your own people with compassion, creativity, and courage. If you are a teacher, let your patriotism shine in the minds you nurture. If you are a worker, let it show in the honesty of your labor. If you are an artist, let it breathe through the beauty you create.

Practical action flows from this truth. Begin by honoring your country with sincerity: obey its just laws, preserve its environment, respect its diversity. But go further: choose each day to spread love, for in doing so you strengthen not only bonds among people, but the very fabric of the nation. Support unity, celebrate difference, and create with purpose. In this way, your life becomes, like Johar’s cinema, a testament of devotion—a song of patriotism sung in the universal language of love.

Thus, Karan Johar’s words endure as a gentle yet powerful teaching: your country is best served not by hatred, but by love. Let your talents, whatever they may be, become offerings of loyalty. And let your actions, however small, whisper to the generations that follow: here was a patriot, who loved his land by spreading light instead of darkness.