'Don't go Karan': Salman Khan kickstarts final season of Koffee With Karan| Watch trailer

Filmmaker Karan Johar is set to bring down the curtain on his iconic talk show, Koffee With Karan, with its ninth and final season premiering on October 14 on JioHotstar (The Peacock Hub). Kickstarting the finale season as the inaugural guest is superstar Salman Khan. On Tuesday, Johar shared a teaser on Instagram confirming the actor's return to the couch. In the promo, Salman Khan can be heard saying, “Toh main aa raha hun karne Koffee with Karan.(So I am coming to Koffee With Karan).”

The premiere marks a memorable reunion between the host and the superstar. During Salman's debut appearance in Season 4 (2013), Johar famously asked if he was a virgin, to which Salman replied, "Yes, I'm a virgin," adding that he was saving himself for marriage—a comment Johar later clarified was delivered with a straight face purely as humour. The new promo has Karan asking Salman again, “Are you still a virgin?” to which Salman replies, “Control brother, control.”

In the new promo, referencing the famous line from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Salman jokingly tells Johar, "Tusi na jao, Karan (Please don't go, Karan)." When Johar complimented the actor on his calm and composed demeanour, Salman noted, “The advice I gave to people, there came a point of time when I had to follow my own advice.”

Why Karan Johar is ending Koffee With Karan

Addressing his decision to conclude the series, Johar revealed that he wants to shift his focus back to storytelling and directing.

"'Koffee With Karan' has been such a large part of my identity in the entertainment industry... I still can't believe it's been 22 years and now this will be my ninth season," Johar told Variety. "I want to spend the next decade of my life directing more movies... telling many more stories... so with a heavy heart I am making this season my last."

Reflecting on the chat show's cultural footprint, he added, "This will be the last time I will be on a couch that has been synonymous with conversations, candour and well... controversies... the decision is emotional and personal to me... But I am hoping the legacy of love the show has given me continues to brew in people's hearts."

Also read: Koffee With Karan 9: KJo reveals who won’t be returning to the famous couch

Karan Johar’s emotional farewell message

Ahead of the premiere, Johar shared a poignant video message recalling his late father, producer Yash Johar, and the origins of the show in 2004.

"This is more of an emotional message than a professional announcement. It was June 2004 when I told my dad that I really wanted to host a talk show. I want to get two celebrities or stars and just have an informal chat with them. He looked at me and said, 'Karan, you will call your friends and talk to them, which you anyway do; who will pay you for this?' He passed away that month, on June 26, and the very first day I shot for the show was August 16, 2004. I am here now, eight seasons later, 22 years later, 161 episodes later; a lot happened," Johar shared.

Also read: Ahead of Koffee with Karan season 9: Revisit 6 most controversial episodes

He continued, "I called lovers, friends, family, lovers who went on to become ex-lovers; some of them even got married. I nearly put an end to the careers of national icons; I am living with the word nepotism even today. Conjecture became a kind of national word; so much happened. Everywhere I go, fortunately or unfortunately, I am always asked when the next season of Koffee With Karan is. I wonder why they don't ask me when my next feature film is, but whatever it was, I know this show gave me so much."

A legacy of 22 years and final season lineup

Koffee With Karan first premiered on Star World in 2004 with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol as its inaugural guests. Over six television seasons through 2019, the show featured landmark appearances by figures like Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, before transitioning into its streaming era on Hotstar.

For this ninth and final instalment, reports suggest a star-studded guest list to bid the show farewell, including Vijay Deverakonda alongside Rashmika Mandanna, Kajol, Kareena Kapoor with Jaya Bachchan, as well as a trio feature with Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Farhan Akhtar.