"When he wants to speak, he will."
Karan Johar has addressed the absence of Shah Rukh Khan from Koffee With Karan 8.
The latest season of Karan’s hit talk show premiered on Disney+Hotstar on October 26, 2023.
In recent episodes, stars including Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Sunny Deol and Kareena Kapoor Khan graced the famous couch.
However, one star who is confirmed to remain absent throughout the season is SRK.
Incidentally, Shah Rukh appeared on the inaugural episode of Koffee With Karan in 2004.
The Pathaan star is also a frequent collaborator with Karan. He starred in the filmmaker’s directorial debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998).
Karan and SRK have also worked together on Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and My Name is Khan (2010).
Delving into SRK missing Koffee With Karan 8, Karan revealed:
“I just know that if there is any megastar who has earned his right to speak when he needs to is Shah Rukh Khan.
“I, of all the people, have been his closest friend and family and should understand that.
“I have that leverage because he is family to me, I can ask him and request him and he has never said no to me.
“So, I never asked because I know he didn’t want to be in that situation of dilemma, where he has to say no to me.
“I pick and choose what I ask for. He is somebody who matters the world to me.
“He is family to me, he is my older brother, he is everything.
“I know when the right time is there I will ask him. And I know when he wants to speak, he will.
“When he does, it’ll be extraordinary because no one gives interviews better than Shah Rukh Khan.
“Nobody speaks better than him. When he speaks on a global platform or a national platform, he is just the wizard of words.
“He is truly the emperor not just on screen but off screen.
“There’s a lot of collective love for him because of the man he has been to us off-screen.”
Karan was specifically asked whether he missed SRK on the show.
The filmmaker replied: “I don’t miss him that way, because I have Koffee With Karan with him every night.
“Almost every evening, Shah Rukh, Gauri, his family and I meet. I’m having those conversations.
“I understand why you might miss him, but I’m satiated because he’s a big, huge part of my existence.”
SRK last appeared on Koffee With Karan in its fifth season in 2016.
He graced the first episode of that season along with Alia Bhatt.
On the work front, SRK is currently gearing up for the release of Rajkumar Hirani’s Dunki.
Meanwhile, future episodes of Koffee With Karan 8 will feature Vicky Kaushal, Kiara Advani, Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn.
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