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.
‘I feel personally responsible’
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.
