4 min readOct 14, 2026 07:18 PM IST First published on: Oct 14, 2026 at 07:18 PM ISTBack in the 1980s, two blockbuster romantic films set teen hearts aflutter. Even then, we realised that Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak’s love story (1988), against the backdrop of gun-toting generational rivalries, was unlikely to be our kismet. But there was Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), and surely, it was not difficult to land a boy-man rich enough to live in a mansion and to find a kabootar that delivered love letters.So convinced was I that Salman Khan and Bhagyashree were sworn to lifelong bliss that I refused to believe it when an elder cousin explained to me the meaning of a Stardust article saying there was “no love lost between them”. English was a funny language, but it can’t be that funny, I harrumphed. Plus, it was the summer holidays and plenty of time to debate things such as this.AdvertisementIt would take 20 more years, and November of 2004, for “things such as this” to claim their space as national pleasure, to be enjoyed collectively at prime time in living rooms. That was when Karan Johar slid into our couches with Koffee With Karan, changing the celebrity talk show in India forever, altering our equation with Bollywood and, but for some ups and downs, never left.As Karan preened and prodded, nudged-nudged and winked-winked (had we ever seen that on Indian television before), the stars became somehow more human (in all their bitchiness) and more astral (in the lives they led). The hamper-gifting and elaborate cup-signing was tiresome, but there was no doubting the producer-director-talk show host’s sense of, as they now say, the vibe.Who to pair together: Shah Rukh and Kajol were obvious, but also Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor having a go at a certain ex; Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor, sharing too much delectably on- and off-screen. Long after a Koffee With Karan episode, its tremors kept setting off minor quakes.AdvertisementHow to take on what was thrown at him: People thought Karan was too elitist? Bring on Rakhi Sawant. That he had favourite actors? Give space to Kangana Ranaut. He was gay? He was comfortable enough to take jibes about it. So he was a dad through surrogate children? Yes, just like the other parents who came to his couch, with whom he discussed his son and daughter, and often his mother.How to laugh at oneself: In his biggest achievement, Karan led the way in this, taking as many jokes on himself as he was cracking about his guests. If the conversations appeared often like friends having a good time at a party, this was the main reason: The guests were neither too venerated nor too vulnerable. Giving just two comparisons, talk show host Tabassum was too kind, and Simi Garewal an intimidating alabaster figure with an accent.If the later seasons of Koffee with Karan seemed to lack the zing, it was hardly Karan’s fault (though Ozempic was certainly a choice). Not only is the new Bollywood devoid of real stars, not only has the overexposure bleached all mystique out of them, but they also seem to come newly minted from a common giant PR machine, saying the same things, and never the “wrong” things.Also Read | Kaafi With Karan? As Karan Johar’s show airs final season, what it got right and wrongIs that why Karan’s gossipy tone – a breath of fresh air in its unvarnished frankness – steered too much and too tactlessly towards the bedroom in some episodes?you may likeNow, Karan has one more chance to reset. He has said his ninth season, which launches today, is “most definitely” his last. Not on our account, please. We wouldn’t be the same without Bollywood and, even if you admit it grudgingly, Bollywood wouldn’t be the same without KJo.As they say in a Karan Johar film: “Tussi na jao.”The writer is editor (planning and projects), The Indian Express. shalini.langer@expressindia.com