Karan Johar has officially announced the end of Koffee With Karan, one of India's most recognisable celebrity chat shows. The upcoming ninth season will be the final chapter of the programme, bringing an end to a television and streaming journey that began in 2004. Koffee With Karan Season 9 will start streaming on JioHotstar from October 14, 2026.
Karan Johar made the announcement through an emotional video and a statement reflecting on his long association with the show. Rather than presenting the decision as a routine professional update, Johar described it as a deeply personal moment. He said that some journeys are not planned to end and that there comes a point when a person knows that it is time to let them go.
The filmmaker also looked back at the beginning of Koffee With Karan. According to his recollection, the idea for the celebrity talk show was discussed with his father, producer Yash Johar, in June 2004. Karan wanted to host an informal programme in which he could bring two celebrities together for a conversation. His father reportedly questioned whether audiences would be interested in watching him talk to his friends. Yash Johar died on June 26, 2004, and Karan said that he shot the first episode of the show on August 16 of the same year.
Koffee With Karan subsequently became a long-running part of Indian entertainment culture. The programme was built around conversations with actors, filmmakers, musicians and other public figures, with celebrity relationships, careers, friendships and personal experiences frequently becoming topics of discussion.
The show also became known for its rapid-fire round, in which guests were asked a series of quick questions. Over the years, conversations and answers from the programme often generated discussion outside the show, particularly on social media and entertainment news platforms.
In his farewell message, Johar reflected on the different kinds of relationships and stories that appeared on the programme. He recalled interviewing friends, families and couples, including people whose relationships changed over time. He also acknowledged that the show had been associated with controversies and public debates during its long run.
Karan Johar specifically acknowledged that the programme had given him friendships, memories and numerous memorable moments. He also recognised the role played by the audience, saying that viewers continued to watch, discuss, debate and return for new seasons. According to his statement, the audience remained a constant presence throughout the show's journey.
The announcement comes 22 years after the programme first premiered. Johar noted in his promotional message that he was now looking back after eight completed seasons and 161 episodes. The upcoming ninth season will therefore serve as the final season of the show rather than another continuation of the franchise.
Koffee With Karan has featured a large number of prominent Bollywood personalities since its launch. The programme has provided a platform for celebrities to discuss their professional journeys as well as personal experiences, while the format has also included informal conversations and rapid-fire questions.
Several moments from the show have remained part of Indian entertainment discussions. The programme has featured conversations involving actors such as Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kajol, Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal and many other leading names from the Hindi film industry.
The upcoming season is expected to continue the show's established format, with a new group of celebrity guests appearing on the famous Koffee With Karan couch. However, the makers have not officially released the complete guest list. Various entertainment reports have mentioned several names as possible participants, but these reports should not be treated as confirmed unless officially announced by the show or its makers.
Reports have mentioned possible appearances by celebrities including Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Farhan Akhtar and Akshaye Khanna. Another reported combination includes Kajol, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Jaya Bachchan. There have also been reports linking Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar to the season, while Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna have also been mentioned in reports about the upcoming episodes. These names remain subject to official confirmation.
Karan Johar's decision to end the show also marks a significant change for a programme that has remained part of the entertainment landscape for more than two decades. The format has changed over the years, moving from television to streaming while retaining its central concept of celebrity conversations.
Koffee With Karan originally premiered in 2004 and was later made available through digital streaming platforms. The eighth season was among the most recent instalments, and the confirmation of Season 9 earlier in 2026 had already established that the show would return. Johar has now clarified that the ninth season will also be its last.
The final season will therefore carry additional significance for viewers who have followed the programme since its early years. For Johar, the decision appears to be closely connected with his personal relationship with the programme and the memories accumulated during its long run.
In his statement, Johar said that ending the programme was emotional but that the decision also felt right to him. He invited viewers to join him for one final season and described it as one last cup of Koffee.
The show's conclusion also comes at a time when celebrity conversations have expanded across multiple digital platforms. Social media, podcasts, video interviews and other streaming formats now provide celebrities with several ways to communicate directly with audiences. Despite these changes, Koffee With Karan remained a recognisable format in Indian entertainment.
The programme's legacy has included not only celebrity interviews but also discussions about Bollywood relationships, careers, friendships, family backgrounds and industry debates. Some conversations became widely discussed after episodes aired, while others became recurring references in popular culture.
Johar's latest announcement makes clear that the upcoming season is intended as a farewell rather than an open-ended continuation. The filmmaker has described the final season as his way of raising the cup one last time with gratitude and appreciation for the people who helped make the show what it became.
Koffee With Karan Season 9 will begin streaming on JioHotstar on October 14, 2026. The complete episode schedule and officially confirmed guest lineup will provide further details about how the final season will unfold.
For now, Karan Johar's announcement marks the closing chapter of a programme that began with a simple idea in 2004 and continued for 22 years. After eight completed seasons and 161 episodes, Koffee With Karan is set to return one final time, giving viewers an opportunity to watch the conclusion of Johar's long-running celebrity chat show.
