Coffee Hota Hai: What’s so special about Karan Johar, which begs the crowd for one more cup?

As educated and awake as we all honestly are, or pretend to be, there are occasions, events, or people that force us to abandon our principles. Koffee with Karan is one such example, as many of us ditch our political correct stance and watch celebrities tell Karan secrets they already know. Watching Koffee with Karan is the entertainment equivalent of cracking politically incorrect jokes or dancing to item numbers. You’re not proud of the fact that you love it, but you don’t mind doing it every once in a while.

After six successful and tireless Controversial Seasons on TV, Koffee with Karan returns for season seven on Disney+ Hotstar. The latest promo gives us a sneak peek at the upcoming guests and wild conversations. The guest list for Season 7 includes some old faces and some new ones. Ananya Pandey (whose father has yet to appear on Koffee with Karan, allowing her to retain her militant status), Vijay Deverkunda, Kiara Advani, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Watch KapoorTiger Shroff Varun DhawanAnd the Kriti SanonAnil Kapoor Ranveer Singh And of course Karan’s favourite, Alia Bhatt They are among those who have lined up to whip up cups of arguing with KJo.

While in the promotions, Karan was seen heavily calling out to people and asking them to be on the show, the selection criteria have remained exactly the same for the past six seasons. To find themselves on Karan’s sofa (the one on the show), celebrities must fall into that private space in the Johar-Fen scheme, which intersects the circles of the good looking, the wealthy, and the successful. The exceptions, of course, are his childhood friends who serve as filler guests among those who actually happen to be.

But as someone who has watched nearly all of the show’s episodes, I can’t help but wonder, what makes Koffee with Karan so popular? Why do so many people call the show guilty, and why do we see the same or similar faces season after season?

Probably when I first started, with my favorite Karan SRK and kajol In the first ever episode, social media wasn’t the omniscient beast that it is today. We didn’t know what a celebrity ate for breakfast, how intense their workout was or whether they took a flight to and from Mumbai. There was still some mystery and intrigue around the movie stars and Koffee with Karan had a chance to interact casually with them. Karan didn’t bother to hide the fact that he was a “good friend” or boss of just about everyone he called. Watching the show made us feel as though we had quietly snuck into the living room of a JVPD or Bandra, to hear and watch the celebrities have a pointless conversation.

Thanks to his closeness to these stars, Karan is able to charm, convince and even trick them into being at least a real halfway version of themselves. It was refreshing to watch these huge stars reveal their arrogance and sometimes get hurt, be mean, be mean, be really funny, be surprisingly honest, and for a few brief minutes, totally relatable.

Deepika after the breakup makes fun of Ranbir, Kareena and Priyanka’s sinister comments about accents and friends, the forced camaraderie between Ranbir and Ranveer, and the amazing wisdom of Katrina Kaif Speaking about her breakup in the past, the infamous Hardik Pandya, and Kangana Ranaut bragged about the nepotism that gave the disaffected movie-folk their war cry. These are some of the Many controversial and unforgettable moments which has been played over the years in Koffee with Karan.

Over the course of six seasons, Koffee with Karan has been categorically unnecessary, but perhaps also healing to us as viewers. Watching these rich, famous, and honoured celebrities display the same human follies that the rest of us were oddly comfortable with. Somewhere we felt reassured that the individuals, whom we envied for their lives, were probably as dysfunctional as we are as the general public. They were bitter from the previous flames, they were insecure yet confident, but more than anything else, they were just ordinary talented, hardworking and lucky people for sure. Koffee with Karan also allowed his host to come on his own and change how the world viewed him. Karan is no longer the embarrassing director who became famous as Kajol and Shah Rukh. Today he is a film producer, director and TV show host and is now preparing to make his OTT debut as well.

Personally, I like the fact that the show has never pretended to be a serious talk show or show that aims to change the world. Although many people have criticized her for being fake or disliking non-intellectual conversations, I doubt Karan was trying to be like Oprah or even Elaine. He recognized the power of small screens and the global interest in gossip and combined them to create a profitable show.

So on July 7th, I’m going to pour a drink of my choice and be unapologetically amused while I watch Ranveer Singh talk about a playlist he has of his bedroom pursuits or some of these awful conversations. After two years of bad news, devastating loss and global debauchery, maybe we all need a cup of Koffee with Karan.