Karan Johar reveals why he never invited Virat Kohli to Koffee with Karan after Hardik Pandya-KL Rahul controversy : Bollywood News

Filmmaker Karan Johar recently opened up about why Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has never appeared on his popular talk show, Koffee with Karan. While Virat’s wife, actor Anushka Sharma, has made multiple appearances, Karan admitted that he has deliberately avoided inviting cricketers to the show after the 2019 controversy involving Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul.

Karan Johar reveals why he never invited Virat Kohli to Koffee with Karan after Hardik Pandya-KL Rahul controversy

Karan Johar Reflects on the Koffee with Karan Controversy

Karan spoke about the subject during an appearance on Sania Mirza’s podcast, Serving It Up with Sania. During the conversation, Sania asked him which celebrity keeps refusing to appear on Koffee with Karan. Karan revealed that Ranbir Kapoor had turned him down for the past three seasons, despite having appeared earlier. Ranbir’s last appearance on the show was alongside Ranveer Singh in 2016.

When Sania asked Karan to name a celebrity who has never been on the show, she mentioned Virat Kohli. Karan then admitted that he has never actually invited the cricketer. “I have never asked Virat. And now, I’m not asking any cricketers after what happened with Hardik (Pandya) and (KL) Rahul. There are many people I felt wouldn’t come, so I never approached them,” Karan said.

The 2019 Hardik Pandya–KL Rahul Episode

In 2019, Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul appeared on Koffee with Karan and faced widespread backlash for their controversial remarks during the episode. Their comments were deemed sexist and disrespectful towards women, sparking a major social media uproar.

Following the outrage, the episode was taken down from Disney+ Hotstar. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended both players ahead of India’s first ODI against Australia, even after they issued public apologies.

At the time, Karan Johar had expressed regret over the incident, saying he felt responsible for what the two cricketers had to go through after their appearance on his show.

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