By Subhash K. Jha, IANS

Karan Johar is taking his newly discovered role as Bollywood's academic ambassador very seriously. The director was last week invited to lecture 500 students at New York University and says the response was "overwhelming".

"The subject was Bollywood and its popular culture. It isn't so much about what I said to them as what they asked me. I suddenly realised how far Bollywood was reaching out. They no longer ask questions about the song-and-dance aspect of Bollywood," Karan told IANS.

"The western hemisphere is waking up to the vast possibilities of our cinema. And it's amazing to hear how much insight the American students could provide me about my cinema. I think the time for Bollywood has arrived now."

Apparently, Karan is now being booked for Bollywood lectures in several cities in the US.

"I enjoy these interactive sessions. And I don't mind talking on our cinema as long as it doesn't interfere with my main work, which is making movies. In any case making movies and taking them to the maximum number of people go hand in hand."

Next month, Karan will lecture on his favourite topic to students at Harvard.

"That's as academic as it gets," he laughed.