Koffee with Karan season 8 opens with less gossip

Remember the time whenDeepika Padukone and SonamKapoor were together in Koffeewith Karan? It was perhaps thesnarkiest, most unfiltered and funepisode in the history of a showtheformat of which has beenunder the scanner for the pastcouple of years. Why else wouldKaran Johar even mention ‘PRnightmare’ in the opening itself?
Why else would there be a needto mention that the show has’evolved’ this time? Truth is,we’re all a little obsessed withwhat our favourite stars have tosay. To no one’s surprise though,the first episode of the show feelsa lot more safe and controlled;less playful and silly. Two of thebiggest stars of Bollywood-Deepika Padukone and Ranveer
Singh, spent half of the timetalking elaborately about theirrelationship of 11 years, but itwas host Karan Johar’s minutelongreflection as an observer, thatstole the episode.As the much-awaited weddingvideo of Deepika and Ranveerplayed out like a dream, it wasthat one observation that thefilmmaker made that stood out,making it all the more real. “I feellike… I am not in a relationship,and I am kind of single,” he began,adding: “It just makes me feel likewhat I am losing out in not beingin one… And every day I wakeup and a little part of me feelsthat vacuum…I have my kids andmom but when I see this and Isee you, and I know relationshipsare tough, but that soulconnection with a person that youcan wake up with, hold their handand see your day through toughtimes… I don’t think I’ve had a
moment like this on my ownshow. I felt so happy for youand I felt so alone yet. I hopethis manifests into, I hope I havea story to tell. The happiness andjoy I saw, and I know it’s noteasy.”Here is a director, who ispretty much one of the biggestname in the film industry; whojust celebrated his 25thanniversary as a filmmaker;proclaiming how difficult andlonely it can get to survivewithout a companion. Koffeewith Karan might feel a lot more
structured and calculated in termsof how the show has become overthe years, but this was oneunexpectedly unfiltered andpoignant moment which felt trueand organic.This is a delicate balance- howmuch to open up for the viewersto know about you behind theimage of a star director andproducer? Over the years, Joharhas been more than willing topoke fun at himself, andunabashedly following his owninstincts above everyone else.One has to remember that he isextremely aware of the trollingand negativity that follows himeversince that ‘flagbearer of
nepotism’ tag was thrown at himat the same couch. Massivetrolls followed, he was targetedevery other day. Yet, he
acknowledged that he wascraving for that ‘validation’ in aninterview with Film Companion,right after the release of his latestfilm Rocky Aur Rani Ki PremKahaani. Rarely has a film feltas aware of its audience as RockyAur Rani, which moves forwardby interrogating the idea offamily. It is inviting the audienceinto nostalgia-infusedstereotype by using classicsongs, operatic melodrama, andthen schooling its characters oneby one.So his statement of reallyhoping that he has a story to tellof his own felt deeply personaland surprising at the same time.Too often, I find myself thinkinghow I must prove myself as ason, a friend and as a workingprofessional. It is as if I amcontinuously looking forward toproducing more evidence that Ideserve to be rooted for as well.Too often, I want to believe thatI am the main character in myown story. But with such aprevalent hetero-normativelandscape of everyday life, Irealize I expect too much fromthe spaces I inhabit- bothpersonal and professional.So when two stars present
themselves as this gorgeousexample of a healthy and excitingrelationship- I too share thesame ambivalence of being
happy for them and yet not somuch for myself. There’s somuch romance to live for, so littlelove. A big part of Karan Johar’sfilms are the melodies. Notehow he used the yesteryearmelodies in Rocky Aur Rani forinstance. These melodies wantus to fall in love. It want us tobe fools in love. No restrictions,no prejudices, no proposals, no
shame. It somehow feels easyto get lost in their promises- toforget our own insecurities andshortcomings.
Yet, the melodies end. KaranJohar, the director who made aKuch Kuch Hota Hai 25 yearsago, takes precedence over theperson who still hopes he has astory to tell someday. What elsecan he do for us? You forget fora while at the movies, and thenyou return back to reality. Ifonly, as a generation, we wereas accepting of ourselves as weare of everyone else

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