Karan Johar breaks silence on Vijay-Rashmika trolling, recalls Deepika-Ranveer backlash: 'Who are you to tell them?'

Karan Johar has criticised the growing tendency to scrutinise celebrity relationships, coming out in defence of Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna. The couple faced widespread backlash on social media after discussing their marriage during their appearance on Koffee With Karan Season 9.

Karan Johar reacts to the controversy

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Johar addressed the criticism and said, "Everyone's entitled to an opinion. But when you start telling them what to do in that relationship, I have a very big problem.

"Questioning those who are offering unsolicited relationship advice, the filmmaker added, "Who are you? Are you a counsellor? Are you a lawyer? Are you a member of their family?"

Also Read: Birthday special: Revisit 5 best films of Rashmika Mandanna

He added that people were commenting on their families, even though their families were not on the couch, and said families should not be demeaned.

What was the matter?

Vijay and Rashmika appeared together on Karan's chat show in October, several months after their wedding in February 2026. Their conversation not only went viral, but certain revelations also sparked criticism.

One of the most talked-about moments was when Vijay spoke about asking Rashmika to propose to him repeatedly before he agreed to marry him. The actor revealed that he had asked her nearly 100 times over the course of a year before he eventually said yes.

Also Read: 'This is humiliation': Vijay Deverakonda under fire over controversial marriage proposal remark on Koffee With Karan 9

His remarks, along with his behaviour during the conversation, prompted widespread criticism from several viewers, with some questioning the dynamics of their relationship.

The couple subsequently addressed the reactions. Rashmika explained that Vijay's request was about taking time before making a decision about marriage, adding that she would happily ask him a thousand times.

Additionally, Vijay maintained that they were happy in their relationship. Later, the couple’s team approached Hyderabad’s cybercrime police over allegedly fabricated posts and manipulated screenshots going viral online.

Also Read: 'I am obsessed with my man': What Rashmika Mandanna's 9-page post on KWK row and Vijay Deverakonda proposal controversy says

Also Read: Koffee With Karan 9: Rashmika Mandanna calls trolling over South Indian accent ‘unreasonable’

Karan Johar recalls Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh criticism

The filmmaker also spoke about the backlash that Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh received for sharing the stage together on Koffee With Karan Season 8 in 2023.

During their segment, the actors discussed the early phases of their relationship, including dating others before committing. It had also sparked debate on social media at the time.

Describing the reaction as 'downright regressive', Karan said the couple were beautifully in love and were just being honest about their lives, and honesty should be appreciated, not judged.

Comparing the situation to film criticism, Karan explained, “Don’t tell a couple what they should do. You can analyse what you think of them, but you can’t give them their endgame.

He added, “Vijay and Rashmika are an exceptionally happy couple, Ranveer and Deepika are an exceptionally happy couple."