A day without coffee can be dangerous... for the people around me, says a favourite online meme. However, there’s another certain cup of Koffee that ends up causing major trouble for those who do taste it.
‘Self-absorbed’ is what some termed him, while others said it was merely a storm in a teacup and that our country has bigger things to worry about, when Vijay Deverakonda said that his wife, Rashmika Mandanna, had to ask him to marry her 100 times before he would say yes. But this was just the latest in what seems to be a recurring theme across seasons of Koffee with Karan. This week, Vijay was named the red flag; in 2023, it was Deepika. During Season 8, she said that, after some difficult past relationships, she wanted to stay uncommitted, which is why both she and Ranveer were allowed to see different people.
Viewers noticed that Ranveer seemed as if he had been caught off guard by this revelation to the public, which led to several reactions on the internet, with Deepika becoming the red flag of the season. What should have rather been appreciated, was that she had opened up honestly about her relationship, that too with the man she had eventually married. But every action has a reaction, and a social media overreaction.
For Season 6 in 2019, the ‘Red Flag of the Year Award’ went to Hardik Pandya. Hardik and KL Rahul drew severe public backlash for their misogynistic remarks, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) provisionally suspending both players, fining them ₹20 lakh each and sending them home mid-tour from Australia. The OTT platform took down the episode.
Of course, there are several other moments, like Deepika and Sonam Kapoor’s digs at Ranbir Kapoor in Season 3, when they insisted he would be apt for endorsing a condom brand. Ranbir’s father, Rishi Kapoor, was infuriated by this, and Karan reportedly had to step in to manage the issue. Then, of course, there’s the Kangana nepotism debate, Kareena’s comment on Priyanka’s accent and her counter... but these fall into another category.
The common thread here has always been Karan, who seems to have the uncanny ability to make his guests say controversial things that affect their public image. Ranbir famously said that he wouldn’t appear on the show because, while Karan would profit from the controversy, the guests are the ones who always get into trouble.
It seems, however, that with Karan announcing this year as his last, and only two episodes having streamed so far, surprises may still lie ahead this season. While the genteelness of Rendezvous with Simi Garewal may be a thing of the past, Karan’s isn’t the only show that regularly courts controversy. Speaking of which, anyone going for Samay Raina’s show this week?
