Koffee with Karan has been a big part of Hindi film pop culture. Ever since its debut in 2004, in the last nineteen years, the show has created a lot of noise for all the right and wrong reasons. Koffee with Karan is in its eighth season, and it is its popularity that brings Karan Johar back to the show. The first guests of the eighth season are Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, one of the most powerful star couples in the Hindi industry, who have managed to create a niche for themselves for the kind of cinema they have done individually and together since the beginning of their careers. Deepika and Ranveer appeared for the first time on the show as a couple.
Koffee with Karan begins with the couple speaking in depth about their courtship that began during their shoot with Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the set of Ram Leela. This was the first film in which they were paired opposite each other. While their chemistry sizzled on the screen; it was the relationship that was brewing off the set, and they have not looked back ever since. Even though their relationship status was never clarified to the public until their wedding pictures were out, it is heartwarming to watch celebrities gushing over their dating lives.
The conversation of their courtship days paved the way for the short wedding video which was to finally be made public for the first time through Koffee with Karan. Though frivolous it may be to gush over their fancy destination wedding, it is heartening to watch them become vulnerable on the most important day of their lives and speak their hearts out about each other. The wedding video is the highlight of the show, which left Karan Johar teary-eyed as well. It was essential for the host and the couple to speak about the importance of relationships, companionship, and waiting for the right person.
Karan Johar brought out the big guns and began the conversation about Deepika’s battle with depression and anxiety for almost a decade. Deepika made the right choice to speak about her mental health journey, which gave many people around the country who are her fans some kind of validation about how they felt. She was probably one of the first celebrities to speak about seeking professional help, which reduced the stigma around mental health issues people face. Ranveer Singh also added his share to the conversation by speaking about how her journey helped him understand that a mental ailment should be treated like any other illness.
Ranveer Singh spoke for the first time about three back-to-back failures he faced and how they impacted his state of mind. Ranveer was quick to note that 83’s failure was devastating. He spoke in detail about how his failures helped him look at his work from a different perspective. It also helped him deliver one of the best performances of his career in Rocky Aur Rani ki Prem Kahani.
After the heavy-handed conversations about their career, life, and health, Koffee with Karan brought out new games just to engage the viewers as well as the guests. It added the fun element, which is the whole point of this chat show. The impostor game followed the infamous Rapid Fire, adding extra glimmer to the show. It seemed Ranveer would win this round, but to everyone’s surprise, Deepika won the hamper by a huge margin.
Episode 1 Review
The choice of guests for the first episode is incredible. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are the epitome of a power couple for the success they have seen in their careers. There was a worry that they would be indulging in nauseating public displays of affection, which many have witnessed in the past in many of their interviews post-wedding. Thankfully, the episode jumped straight onto the questions about their courting days, followed by their long-term relationship. Kudos to the director, writer, and producer of the show for convincing the couple to release their wedding video on national television. It is bound to leave everyone teary-eyed by the end of it.
Every single subject mentioned in the show was discussed for a certain amount of time, and the writers did not overdo it by stretching the topic just to get reactions from the guests. The writers need to be commended for bringing up the subject of depression and anxiety. The entire topic was held with a lot of sensitivity. It is courageous of Deepika to, after a decade, still champions the cause of mental health ailments and still believe in seeking professional help and admitting to being on medication for them. Another highlight of the show must be Karan Johar’s honest reaction after watching the wedding video. The candor with which he spoke about dealing with loneliness and trolling is the most vulnerable the audience has ever witnessed Karan Johar in front of the camera. This was a moment that needed to be captured for the viewers to understand that celebrities are humans too.
For the first time, a Koffee with Karan episode felt too real, as all three of them were honest about their journeys and the difficulties they face daily. It was excellent of the makers to not shy away from discussing topics that are considered taboo. Many actors and actresses with larger-than-life personalities are unwilling to share their stories of what transpires behind the camera and the closed doors of their homes. This episode erased all the perceptions the viewers had of the couple and the host. The viewers would have felt like a fly on their wall because the conversation was basic and simple. Emotional is not the word anyone would associate with any episode of Koffee with Karan, but this one was. Unlike the last season’s first episode, which also featured Ranveer Singh, this one hit closer to the heart. A good start to the new season.
