Apart from being a celebrated director and producer, Karan Johar is also well-known as the host of the popular talk show Koffee With Karan. The filmmaker recently opened up about one sports star who would not be gracing his couch anytime soon.
In an interaction with Sania Mirza for Myntra's Glam Stream, Karan revealed why Virat Kohli has never made an appearance on Koffee With Karan. The filmmaker said, "I have never asked Virat. And now, I am not asking any cricketers after what happened with Hardik (Pandya) and (KL) Rahul.”
He added, “There are many who I just felt wouldn't come, so I never asked them in the first place.”
Back in 2019, Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul faced severe backlash after appearing on Koffee With Karan. During the episode, Hardik made some controversial comments about women. His remarks were deemed misogynistic and inappropriate. The cricketer shared anecdotes about his personal life, including losing his virginity and making claims about his relationships with women.
His statements about learning to "treat women" by observing “West Indian players and black culture" also sparked outrage, prompting the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to seek an explanation from both Hardik and Rahul.
Hardik Pandya later issued an apology on Instagram, saying he got "carried away" during the show. However, the apology did not prevent the BCCI from taking action, charging him and KL Rahul with misconduct and indiscipline under Rule 41 of its constitution. They were temporarily suspended and ousted from a three-match ODI series against Australia. The duo was also fined Rs 20 lakh each by the BCCI.
Commenting on the controversy, Karan Johar had said he felt "very responsible" about the repercussions that the cricketers had to face.
"I have to say that I feel very responsible because it was my show and my platform. I invited them as guests, and so the ramifications and the repercussions of the show are my responsibility," said Karan Johar.
The filmmaker concluded by saying that he had many sleepless nights thinking about how to undo the damage done.
