Karan Johar and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh receive Invitation for London 2012

YUSRA MURSALEEN

KARACHI: Karan Johar is the only Indian besides Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to receive an official invitation for the London Olympics.

According to media sources, Johar is the official Ambassador for ‘Visit Britain’. The invitation for the Prime Minister came from British counterpart David Cameron as a matter of protocol, while the invitation for Johar came from the Visit Britain authorities.

After receiving the invitation Johar said, "I'm truly humbled and excited. Had you asked me a few days ago if I intended to go to London — it's virtually my second home — during the Olympics, I'd have said, 'No chance'. I've been shooting non-stop for my film Student of the Year and the TV show that I'm judging. Life has been very hectic. When this invitation came through, I jumped at the opportunity. After all, it's a very prestigious event."

"The 2012 Olympics is going to be a conglomerate of an epic magnitude. The memory of having participated in it, even as a spectator, is going to stay with me for a lifetime. It is London's big-ticket weekend and I'm not about to miss it for anything in the world," he added.

Johar has revealed the fact that sports has never been an area for him but concluded, "I know we are going to be well-represented at the Olympics. And of course, I have my fingers crossed for the prospects of our participating sportspersons."