7 times Bollywood's Karan Johar's show drew flak for its content

Bollywood movie mogul Karan Johar is unlikely to shrug off the labels like ‘flagbearer of nepotism’ and head of ‘movie-mafia’ in Hindi cinema, all thanks to his catty and sassy celebrity-fuelled talk show ‘Koffee With Karan’ in which Kangana Ranaut described him in those unsavoury terms.

Ever since Sushant Singh Rajput’s death on June 14, Johar has come under fire for indirectly insulting outsiders like the late Patna-born actor with his crafty format of the show. The backlash has been so swift and fierce that the producers of the hit show are even contemplating delaying or shelving the filming of their upcoming sixth season, according to insiders, with the makers fearing hate and abuses being hurled at their suave anchor.

So what’s problematic about Johar’s show that derives its meat and blood from feasting on gossip, sardonic quizzes and general nastiness? Here are seven times when Johar managed to rub the viewers up the wrong way and unwittingly put his star guests in an uncomfortable position.

1. Alia Bhatt’s intelligence quotient and lack of general knowledge became a topic of national interest: She may have been Johar’s discovery and is a stupendous actress, but her ignorance on display during ‘Koffee With Karan’ in 2014 when it came to correctly naming the President of India made her the subject of relentless trolls and memes. She even put out a spoof video about people making fun of her lack of general knowledge and learnt to take it in her stride. But this show has bestowed her a legacy that isn’t easy to shake off.

2. Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul’s misogyny comes to the fore: On the field they may be formidable players, but they found themselves on a sticky wicket when they made a string of sexist and racist comments on ‘Koffee With Karan’ during an episode in 2019. Pandya’s comment on hooking up with several women did not sit well with his fans and the cricket board. Although they tendered an apology for their questionable wit and outlook towards women, the damage was already done.

3. Ranbir Kapoor’s take on Johar’s show: It’s no secret that Karan Johar wields a lot of clout and influence in Bollywood. Being invited on his show is a career milestone for many aspiring actors. But Bollywood royalty Ranbir Kapoor isn’t one of them. “I told him (Karan) I don’t want to come. Me and Anushka [Sharma] are actually going to protest and get the entire film industry together to stop this because it’s not fair. He’s making money out of it. We come and get [expletive] through the air. It’s not right,” said Kapoor in an interview to Indian reporters.

4. Ranbir Kapoor being roasted by his ex-girlfriends: Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor turned the tables on Koffee With Karan on the sassy front when they united to bring down their rumoured ex-squeeze Ranbir Kapoor. While it was fun to watch the girls being fierce, it might have not been any fun for Kapoor who had to witness their dating records with him being shared with millions of TV viewers.

5. The show gave birth to petty rivalries: When Kareena Kapoor called her colleague and actor John Abraham ‘expressionless’, her claws were out. This show has pushed stars to reveal their snarky side. An episode even revealed Anurag Kashyap schooling Kapoor saying: ‘she should ask what’s the film about and not who’s in the film’ revealing the actress’ interest in being in film with big Bollywood stars rather than content.

6. Sonam Kapoor’s questionable comments: While Sonam Kapoor is a regular on Johar’s couch, she is a repeat offender when it comes to putting your foot in your mouth. “If you are not good looking, they think you are a good actor,” was one such gem that came from Kapoor. Following that episode, Kapoor was called out for her questionable thoughts.

7. Kangana Ranaut’s verbal attack against Johar: It’s not often that his guests insult the anchor, but Ranaut was cut from a different cloth. She had no qualms of claiming that Johar was the poster child of promoting nepotism. The label has stuck with Johar and continues to haunt him till this day.