As our phones get smarter, our shows are turning into billboards. Going further, we’ll have to learn to sieve through the entertainment from all the advertising.
The ongoing season of Koffee with Karan is turning out to be quite the mixed bag. But as we go deeper into Season 8, one aspect is surely beginning to dominate—brand endorsements.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the short intro of the new “konscientious” version has more of Audi than Karan Johar in it. Then there’s the rapid-fire round—arguably Koffee’s most fun segment—which cannot begin without KJo trying to create an event out of something as uneventful as the switching on of the Jaquar lights. Over nine episodes, we’ve seen questions about coffee and diamond brands. But lately, the Google Pixel 8 Pro has made a grand entry—Johar doesn’t just promote it when asking questions, he has begun to use it to take selfies with the guests, pictures that are intentionally bad so he can harp about how the latest model can fix it—force open shut eyes, make grumpy faces smile. As our phones get smarter, our shows are turning into billboards.
Going further, we’ll have to learn to sieve through the entertainment from all the advertising. I like Koffee better when relatively senior actors and filmmakers grace the couch. Aces of straight-faced humour and disarming candour, they are direct, no-fuss, and truly enjoy making Johar uncomfortable. Take, for instance, Ajay Devgn naming KJo when asked about his one sworn enemy in the industry, thus bringing to the fore their major public fallout during the big 2016 clash of their films, Shivaay and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, with just a one-word response.
I also like the wisdom and the gravitas these celebs bring with them. Be it Devgn or Rohit Shetty, the position that they’ve cemented for themselves by staying steadfast in the face of tremendous ebbs and highs over decades in an industry as volatile and competitive as Hindi films, commands respect, the kind that stops Johar from asking them ridiculous questions such as “name three things that you put in your mouth”.
These guests have been around long enough to want to delve into substance even if it’s on a show obsessed with frills. They share their origin stories, own their failures, talk with great reverence about actors of yore who have left an indelible impact on them, discuss with abundant fondness a time when superstars cared about and were deeply moved by each other’s work, and when struggle meant a lot more than you in a no network zone.
They also smoothly transition from the topical to the philosophical—how it takes a lifetime to build a solid, dependable partnership; why the younger stars of today shy away from doing two-hero films; how despite being immensely successful, they still hold dear their middle-class values; and how ageing has sobered them and made it easier for them to make amends.
It’s also fascinating how Johar is using Koffee to let the issues that bog him down off his chest. In posing questions to his guests, he is looking for answers for himself. So when he asks Ranveer and Deepika about their love, he is lamenting the lack of it in his own life. When he asks Arjun Kapoor about how he deals with trolls that hit home, he is trying to come to terms with the online hate that he has to deal with every day. Or when Ajay Devgn stumps him with his candour, he takes the opportunity to iron out whatever residue might still cloud their equation. In wanting to know more about Kiara’s marital bliss, Johar is manifesting something similar for himself.
However, a few questions remain. What is KJo’s obsession with Hum Aapke Hain Koun’s Tuffy? Where can one find the questions and participate in “Quiz and Tell”—the interactive quiz that he talks about at the beginning of each episode? Since I’m following this season so closely anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to win some prizes for it.
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