Koffee With Karan S7: Well-brewed beginning

Not everybody is fond of Karan Johar. But, those who lambast the man and his talk show Koffee With Karan watch it, too, the reason why the celebrity host is back with the seventh season streaming on Disney + Hotstar.

The first episode features Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. Talkative and energetic, Ranveer has turned up in a white suit with black stars on it. Known for his unusual dress sense, the actor’s sartorial choice for the evening will surprise nobody. During the course of the show, he reveals that he has also dressed up in clothes from a woman’s wardrobe from time to time.

Alia, cheerful and classy, is completely overshadowed by her male friend and costar.

Karan is wearing an outfit whose colour reminds Ranveer of a ‘tomato’. Everyone present has a good laugh when the actor shares what he feels.

Koffee With Karan has had great sets in the past, but what we see in the seventh season is the best ever. The show is, for the most part, old wine in a new bottle. The actors, who are good friends or ‘sakhis’ in real life, are in a relaxed frame of mind. The start seems rehearsed, but the rest flows naturally.

Karan’s biggest strength is that he knows his guests personally, which is apparent when Alia talks about how the host had responded when he got to know about her marriage with Ranbir Kapoor.

Some revelations will make the viewer smile. Alia, for instance, tells Karan that she had a fake id: ‘Punkbabe_21.’ During such moments, the star seems ‘real’, just like the viewer who watches the show without batting an eyelid.

Ranveer’s first-rate mimicry of Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn suggests that he could have been a professional standup comedian had he not been an actor. The actor goes on and on about his sex playlists. It would have been funny if he had known when to stop, which he clearly doesn't.

Alia believes there is no ‘such thing as a suhaag raat’ because couples are exhausted by the time marriage-related activities end. Although Ranveer’s famous energy level is on display, the moment of the day comes from Alia when she reads out a message from somebody after the success of Gangubai Kathiawadi.

Fans of Koffee With Karan will enjoy the first episode, which reveals the new segments of the show. Plus, the audience about whom the stars are apparently unaware choose the winner of the Rapid Fire Round.

Karan’s freewheeling chat with his guests is, of course, the epicentre of the show. It gives what the fan wants: nuggets of information about their big-screen gods, who can be watched but not reached.