Karan Johar reveals why Virat Kohli will never get a 'Koffee With Karan' invite; Says, 'I’m not asking any cricketers after what happened with Hardik and Rahul'

Filmmaker Karan Johar revealed he won't invite cricketers to his show after the 2019 Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul controversy. Their remarks led to severe backlash and temporary suspensions. Johar, speaking with Sania Mirza, confirmed he's never asked Virat Kohli and avoids cricketers now due to the past incident's fallout.

Filmmaker Karan Johar revealed he won't invite cricketers to his show after the 2019 Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul controversy. Their remarks led to severe backlash and temporary suspensions. Johar, speaking with Sania Mirza, confirmed he's never asked Virat Kohli and avoids cricketers now due to the past incident's fallout.

It was back in 2019 when filmmaker Karan Johar welcomed cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul to his popular talk show ' Koffee With Karan .' What began as a typical fun-filled episode soon turned into one of the biggest controversies in the show’s history. The backlash against the two cricketers was so severe that the episode was pulled from the streaming platform. Since then, Karan has steered clear of inviting any cricketers to the couch. Now, nearly six years later, the director has revealed that he has no plans to call Virat Kohli to the show either, citing the fallout from that incident as the reason.

Karan opens up during chat with Sania Mirza

Karan made the revelation during a lively conversation with tennis star Sania Mirza on a shoppable entertainment platform. The two spoke about different parts of his life, from his childhood and struggles with body dysmorphia to the making of his iconic chat show. During a rapid-fire segment, Sania asked him which celebrity keeps turning down his invitations. Without hesitation, Karan replied, “Ranbir Kapoor” He explained that Ranbir had appeared on the show before but has declined to return for the past three seasons. Ranbir’s last appearance was alongside Ranveer Singh in 2016.

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Why he avoids cricketers now

When Sania pressed further, asking about a celebrity who has never been on the show, Karan paused to think. As soon as Sania mentioned Virat Kohli, Karan clarified that he had never approached the cricketer. “I have never asked Virat. And now, I’m not asking any cricketers after what happened with Hardik and Rahul,” he said. The filmmaker added that there were several people he assumed wouldn’t be interested, so he never reached out to them. The 2019 episode featuring Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul caused an uproar after Pandya’s comments were widely labeled as sexist and inappropriate. He was only 25 at the time and appeared overly candid during the conversation, making remarks that many found offensive. During the show, Pandya said he learned how to “treat women” by observing “West Indian players and black culture.” In another moment, he boasted about losing his virginity, recalling that he told his parents, “When I lost my virginity, I told them, ‘Aaj mai karke aaya!’ (I did it today!)” He even mentioned pointing to a group of women at a party and telling his parents he had “a history with all of them,” claiming they were proud of him for it. The comments sparked outrage, leading the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to demand explanations from both players. Pandya later issued a public apology on Instagram, admitting he had “got a bit carried away with the nature of the show.” Despite his apology, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) found both Pandya and Rahul guilty of misconduct and indiscipline under Rule 41 of its constitution. They were temporarily suspended and missed several matches as a result. At the height of the controversy, Indian team captain Virat Kohli distanced himself and the national team from the players’ remarks. “From the Indian cricket team ’s point of view, any inappropriate comments made in that scenario are something we definitely don’t support,” he said. “The two concerned players understand what went wrong and the magnitude of it. These are purely individual opinions — we, as the Indian cricket team, do not support such views.” Since that incident, Karan Johar has chosen to keep his distance from cricketers on Koffee With Karan, a decision that still stands today.

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