Nostalgia immediately hit fans when Karan Johar announced that the current season of Koffee With Karan, Season 9, would be the last one, as he bids adieu to his much-loved talk show. The show, which started in 2004, has, in many ways, shaped Bollywood pop culture and offered audiences unprecedented access to their favourite celebrities.
However, it has also courted its fair share of controversies over the years, often landing its guests in trouble. From the KL Rahul-Hardik Pandya controversy to Alia Bhatt’s rapid-fire answer about India’s President, several moments from the show have made headlines.
‘The brew is milder because everyone’s very worried’
In a recent interaction with Variety India, Karan shared that, over the years, celebrities have become increasingly conscious of what they say on the show to avoid controversies. He also observed that guests are now less open than they were in the earlier seasons. Karan pointed out that celebrity entourages have grown considerably, with several more team members accompanying guests to the sets.
He said, “I know the steam has become lesser, the brew is much milder. That’s only because everyone’s very worried. Because you saw what happens. Anyone comes on this show and says even something tiny and it blows up and it’s a PR nightmare and no one wants that. When I started Koffee With Karan, and I used to look beyond the stage, there used to be nobody there, it was just an empty set. Now when I look, there are publicists, managers, image-management people, teams. The hair and makeup and entourage has also increased substantially.”
Karan Johar on celebrities asking for post-edit clearances
Karan also revealed that celebrities now request post-edit clearances before an episode is aired. Acknowledging the high stakes of modern celebrity culture and the possibility of statements triggering a PR crisis, the filmmaker said he understands their concerns and does not mind accommodating such requests.
He said, “And I absolutely respect that because I would do the same if I was invited to ‘Koffee With Karan’ because I don’t want to go through a PR nightmare. So while our coffee brew is milder, that’s only because everyone’s worried,” he laughs.
About Koffee With Karan
The latest episode of Koffee With Karan featured Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan. The season opened with Salman Khan as its first guest. Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna have also appeared on the show.