Karan Johar Reveals Why He Didn’t Invite Virat Kohli to ‘Koffee With Karan’

Renowned filmmaker and talk show host Karan Johar has finally answered one of the most frequently asked questions about his popular celebrity chat show ‘Koffee With Karan’ – why Virat Kohlione of India’s biggest sporting icons, has never appeared on the show.

Why didn’t Virat Kohli appear in coffee with Karan?

Speaking on Sania Mirza’s podcast, Johar revealed that his decision not to invite Virat was influenced by the controversy that broke out in 2019, following the appearance of cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul on the same show.

The Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani director admitted that the fallout from that episode completely changed his approach to inviting athletes.

The 2019 episode of Koffee With Karan, featuring Hardik and KL Rahul, made headlines for all the wrong reasons. The cricketers faced severe backlash for their inappropriate and sexist comments, which many viewers found offensive. The controversy quickly escalated, with social media outrage, public criticism and disciplinary action from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

As a result, both Pandya and Rahul were temporarily suspended from the Indian cricket team and forced to issue public apologies. The episode was eventually removed by Disney+ Hotstar, and Johar later confessed that the scandal had deeply affected him personally and professionally.

Looking back on that incident, Johar said: “I never asked Virat. And now I don’t ask any cricketer about what happened with Hardik and Rahul. There are many who I thought wouldn’t come, so I never asked them in the first place.”

This revelation explains why despite Anushka Sharma’s many appearances on the show, Virat has remained absent from the guest list.

Also READ: 7 controversial statements Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul made on ‘Koffee With Karan’

“I felt really bad about what happened”: Karan Johar

In his conversation with Sania, Johar admitted that the 2019 controversy left a lasting impression on him. He said he felt responsible for the incident and its impact on the players’ careers.

‘I felt really bad about what happened’ Johar said. “I didn’t expect their comments to create such a firestorm. It became a learning moment for me about the responsibility that comes with hosting a show like this.”

The incident also forced Johar to re-evaluate his guest selection process, opting not to invite cricketers or individuals from non-entertainment fields who may not be used to the spontaneous and often candid nature of the show.

Also READ: Hardik Pandya’s phone wallpaper with girlfriend Mahieka Sharma goes viral