Indian media personality Karan Johar will end “Koffee With Karan” after 22 years.
His celebrity chat show returns for a ninth and final season, streaming on JioHotstar from Oct. 14.
Since its 2004 debut, the show has run eight seasons and 161 episodes. On its couch, top Indian stars have talked about friendships, romances, breakups and marriages. Many of those conversations went viral or became news in their own right.
“‘Koffee With Karan’ has been such a large part of my identity in the entertainment industry… I still can’t believe it’s been 22 years and now this will be my ninth season,” Johar said.
“Koffee With Karan” premiered on Star World on 2004, with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol as its first guests. The first season also brought Amitabh Bachchan on with his son Abhishek Bachchan, and paired Aishwarya Rai with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The show ran for six seasons on Star World through 2019, and its second season was also simulcast on Star One in 2007. By its sixth season, episodes also streamed on Hotstar, which, like the channel, was owned by Star India. Kareena Kapoor and Kajol are among its most frequent guests.
In January 2019, a Season 6 episode with cricketers Hardik Pandya and K.L. Rahul caused an uproar over Pandya’s remarks about women. Hotstar took the episode down from its service. The Board of Control for Cricket in India issued show-cause notices to both players and briefly suspended them from the national team.
“This will be the last time I will be on a couch that has been synonymous with conversations, candor and well… controversies… the decision is emotional and personal to me… But I am hoping the legacy of love the show has given me continues to brew in people’s hearts,” Johar said.
