It was nine years ago that he had first appeared on the couch, spilling more than just coffee beans with his famous friends from B’town. With the latest edition of 'Koffee With Karan', there’s a lot more to watch out for, assures the multi-faceted showman, Karan Johar. “I’ve judged other shows like 'India’s Got Talent' and 'Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa' but KWK will always be the closest to my heart. Like other seasons, this time too, I’ve added my personal touch to the show. I hope the viewers and the industry receives it with as much warmth and love as they did many years ago,” he says.
Stylish, funny and witty, Karan knows exactly what makes him the endearing host onscreen and off it. “Yes, my one-liners do crack up people. I am sure they like me for what I am instead of who I am,” says KJo who admits to playing the peacemaker among friends. He apparently played a key role in bringing together Kapoor cousins Kareena and Ranbir along with their respective families. Similarly, after the 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' and 'Son Of Sardar' fiasco, when Aditya Chopra and Kajol weren’t on great terms, KJo stepped up to play the mediator. “I try to play the peacemaker because I don’t like to see my people fight. It becomes too stressful for me to see a cold war between my friends. So I have on multiple occasions, stepped up and made my friends see reason. But there’s only so much I can try. If they refuse to patch up, after a point I give up. I wouldn’t risk my personal equation with either of the parties,” he clarifies, although refraining from naming any of them.
After being an SRK loyalist, Karan’s newly developed association with Salman Khan is now under the scanner. Karan however doesn’t like to look at it that way. “Apart from being colleagues and business partners, Shah Rukh and I are friends before anything. Nothing can change that. I remember during 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' (where he played an assistant to director Aditya Chopra) I was awestruck by him as an actor. My love and respect for him has only grown over the years,” he says. Karan had once claimed that he’d only direct a film if SRK played the lead in it. But after 'Student Of The Year', can one assume that he’s gone back on his words? “Technically not. SRK might not have acted in the film, but he still co-produced it. But if you ask me, I’d really like to direct SRK and Kajol together once again. Our association has been a hit in the past and I am sure it will be again. I am working on a script towards that.”
He admits that he may also have been a bit choosy while picking his team. “What’s wrong with that,” he asks adding, “Everyone has a certain level of comfort with a few people and so do I. It helps me work in tandem with them.”
