3 min readMumbaiApr 25, 2026 01:30 PM IST
One of the most daring films Karan Johar ever attempted was Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. Within the framework of mainstream commercial filmmaking, it confronted the theme of infidelity head-on, supported by a star cast led by Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Rani Mukerji. Upon release, the film received a mixed response from both critics and audiences. However, over time, it has come to be seen as one of the more fascinating works in Karan’s filmography, often revisited for the questions it raises about relationships, morality, and emotional truth.
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna as a long-form series
Recently, while speaking at The Week, Karan revealed that he is now adapting the film into a long-form series. He said, “We’re actually adapting it into a long-form series. The root of that film, it was, of course, released in 2006 to very polarised responses. I had many people come up to me and ask me whether I was unwell after that film, because they said, ‘How can you endorse infidelity?’ And I was like, ‘How can you endorse something that’s already so sold out’?”
He further recalled an audience reaction from the film’s early screening, saying, “I still remember when I was watching the film with an audience a day prior to its release. There was a very traditional couple watching the film, and there’s a moment where Shah Rukh and Rani check into a hotel room. The lady, she had come with her husband, turned dramatically to him, and he very calmly said, ‘It’s a dream sequence.’ After five minutes, they realised it was not a dream sequence, and then they got up and left. And then I realised that we are in such a polarised audience space, that people judge what happens in their homes, they forget it, they brush it under the carpet, but they don’t want to watch it on celluloid, even though it’s probably a reality in their own home.”
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Speaking about the upcoming adaptation, he added, “So we’re doing a series, a long-form show for a platform, which I’m not able to give you too many details about right now, but it will be out soon.”
Koffee with Karan returning with Season 9
In the same chat, when asked about the return of his highly popular talk show, Koffee with Karan, he paused and said with a smile, “This year, Diwali, season 9.”
Koffee with Karan first started as a television show, hosted by Karan, in 2004. Over the years, the show has emerged as one of the most talked-about chat shows involving Bollywood celebrities. However, over the last few years, many celebrities, including Ranbir Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan, have stayed away from the show because of the kind of controversies it generates. In the last season of the show, Deepika Padukone’s comments about her open relationship with Ranveer Singh during their early dating days recieved a lot of scrutiny.
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Karan Johar last directed Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt.
