Koffee With Karan Ends After 22 Years; Salman Opens Final Season

Bhai takes the first cup

Karan Johar has confirmed that Salman Khan will open the ninth and final season of Koffee With Karan. In a promo shared on Instagram, Salman tells Karan he is coming on the show, while Karan jokes that with Salman on the couch, “anything can happen.” Johar’s caption frames it as “one last time… a koffee with the one & only bhaii.”

The season premieres on October 14 on The Peacock Hub on JioHotstar. That makes Salman the first guest of a farewell run that closes a 22-year chapter in Indian entertainment.

A farewell couch, not a hiatus

Karan has made clear this is not a pause. Speaking to Variety, he described the decision as “emotional and personal” and said he wants to spend the next decade directing more movies and telling more stories. After 22 years, he is signing off “with a heavy heart.”

• Premieres October 14 on The Peacock Hub on JioHotstar.
• Salman Khan is the first guest of Season 9.
• Karan Johar confirms this is the ninth and final season.
• The show first aired in 2004 on Star World with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

Why the opener matters

Salman is not a regular on the talk-show circuit, which makes him a signature get for a final season. Karan’s tease about unpredictability points to the format’s original promise: the couch has been a place for candour, nostalgia and occasional controversy. With no Season 10 to fall back on, every episode now has extra stakes for fans and for the show’s legacy.

The show’s debut season set the template, pairing Shah Rukh Khan with Kajol and later bringing Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai to the couch with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. A season opener with Salman echoes that mix of star power and event television.

What comes next

For viewers, the final season is a chance to watch a cultural fixture take its last lap. Karan’s stated focus on filmmaking means the host is leaving the couch behind, but the conversations and controversies it produced will keep being referenced long after the finale. The best move for fans is simple: catch the premiere on October 14 and enjoy the last round of koffee.

Source: The Times of India