Vijay-Rashmika KWK promo row over 100-time proposal

A promo clip, a proposal story and a swift backlash

Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna are the latest newlyweds to discover how quickly a Koffee With Karan anecdote can turn into a social media storm. In the promo for Koffee With Karan 9, host Karan Johar introduces the couple as a ‘blockbuster couple’ and asks about the proposal. Rashmika says she was the one who kept bringing up marriage.

As she tells it, she asked Vijay, ‘Let’s get married.’ His response in the promo: ‘Okay, you ask me a hundred times.’ When Karan asks if she really did, Rashmika confirms she asked for an entire year. Vijay then adds, ‘I am not an a**hole.’

The exchange was likely meant as playful banter, but many viewers read it differently.

Why the internet is upset

The criticism largely centres on the idea that the story makes Rashmika look more emotionally invested and turns a private decision into public content. Some X users said Vijay should not have revealed the detail even if true; others argued the anecdote made Rashmika seem like she had to convince him.

A small but vocal section of the audience also compared the promo to previous Koffee With Karan moments that did not age well, including Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh’s much-discussed appearance.

Here are the main complaints being raised:

• Fans say the story makes Rashmika look like she pursued the marriage while Vijay held back.
• Some viewers feel the public retelling is humiliating, even if it is true.
• Comparisons to earlier KWK controversies have resurfaced, with warnings for newlywed couples.

What this means for the episode

It is important to remember this is only a promo. The full episode can change tone, and the couple may address the reaction on the show or later. But in the short-attention ecosystem, the clip is already doing what Koffee With Karan promos are designed to do: create debate and draw viewers to the episode.

Vijay and Rashmika married on February 26 in Udaipur, and they have been public favourites since their 2018 film Geetha Govindam. Their latest film, Ranabaali, released on October 16, so the KWK appearance lands in the middle of a busy promotional window. That timing could amplify both the interest and the scrutiny.

Our take

A marriage is not really the sum of one story; every couple has private jokes that sound odd when clipped and shared. The promo invites exactly the kind of split reaction Koffee With Karan thrives on. Whether the full episode softens the backlash or adds to it will depend on how much context we get.

Source: India Today