Koffee With Karan has been entertaining audiences for 22 years, and its ninth and final season is currently streaming on JioHotstar. However, the popular talk show was never meant to be a major career move for host Karan Johar. Instead, it began as a way for the filmmaker to distract himself from the grief of losing his father, producer Yash Johar, in 2004.
In a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Karan opened up about how the show came into existence and how a senior industry figure encouraged him to take it up just days after his father's death.
Recalling how the idea first came about, Karan said he had been interested in hosting a chat show for some time as he was inspired by veteran television interviewers Tabassum and Simi Garewal. However, people around him were not convinced that a filmmaker should step in front of the camera.
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Things changed following Yash Johar's death. Karan recalled that on the 13th day after his father's demise, a senior industry figure visited his family and encouraged him to start the show for distraction.
“I was, of course, very disturbed and shattered. He came and sat with me and said, ‘Karan, it's going to be very difficult. Distract yourself. Do something. Do you have anything that you can rush into?',” he recalled.
Karan said that although he had been considering the show, he was not ready to take it up at that particular moment. However, the person encouraged him to go ahead, explaining that it would help distract him from his grief.
“It started as a distraction from my emotional loss at that time because I was like ‘Do something, work towards something.' Because there was no movie I had written. There was nothing to get into,” he added.
Yash Johar passed away in June 2004, and the first episode of Koffee With Karan aired in November that year. Karan also revealed that he did not give much thought to the show's intellectual property (IP) when he signed the agreement, as he never expected the show to go so far.
Karan Johar On The Perception Koffee With Karan Created About Him
During the same conversation, Karan also spoke about how the show has shaped people's perception of his personality over the years. Admitting that it has had a downside, he said that several opinions about him have emerged from his on-screen persona as the host.
“There are a lot of perceptions about me that have actually come out of that show... that is not very good,” he said.
Karan explained that the person viewers see on the show is the part he plays as host rather than his real personality. “When I'm sitting in that chair, I'm also playing a part,” he added, describing the perception created by the show as one of its downsides.
He further added that people often change their opinions about him after meeting him personally. According to Karan, celebrities are frequently judged through their appearances on the show, although he feels the perception surrounding him has not always been favourable.
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Karan Johar's Plans For The Next Six Years
At 54, Karan has also spoken about stepping back from work beyond filmmaking. The filmmaker has set himself a target of directing at least three feature films before turning 60.
Meanwhile, the ninth and final season of Koffee With Karan continues to stream on JioHotstar.
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