Karan Johar says Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul Koffee controversy made him doubt the show: 'I was traumatised'

Karan Johar has never followed cricket. But for a while in 2019, he watched every match Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul played.

The filmmaker went back to that period in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter India. The interview comes days after he announced that the ongoing ninth season of Koffee with Karan will be its last. He gave several reasons for ending the show. One is that he needs more time for filmmaking. Another is that stars are no longer willing to speak freely on the couch. Of all the controversies the show has produced, though, he said the Season 6 episode with Hardik and Rahul was the one that shook him most.

Johar described the episode’s aftermath as “terrifying.” He has always followed films far more than sport, so it was unusual when he started tuning in to every match Hardik and Rahul played. He said he was hoping each time that the two were coping. When a guest’s appearance goes wrong, he added, he holds himself responsible. As he noted, he was "traumatised."

He pointed out what was at stake for them. These were players the whole country followed, and he said a few minutes on his couch put their careers and reputations at risk. He also joked about it. Cricketers, he said, avoid him at parties because of that episode. He quickly made clear he was teasing and said they have all been gracious to him.

He was more serious about how the period affected him. Johar said he, Hardik and Rahul now share a kind of 'trauma bonding.' "Both players have done well since, he noted, but at the time he was badly shaken. They’re great boys, and have done so well even after. But I can’t tell you; I was traumatised. I really went on and on, feeling if it’s even worth it. Should I be doing this at all? I questioned myself so deeply during that period,”

Hardik and Rahul are still the only cricketers to have appeared on Koffee with Karan. In the Rapid Fire round, Hardik in particular made explicit jokes about relationships. Viewers called the remarks misogynistic, and the criticism quickly moved beyond social media.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended both players and opened an inquiry into their conduct. The suspension was lifted only after the two apologised. The episode was removed from the streaming platform.

Johar kept the show going for three more seasons and seven more years after that controversy. Many shows become bolder once they move to streaming, but this one went the other way. As celebrities, publicists and social media changed how stars present themselves, the show became steadily more guarded. After 22 years, Johar is ending it.