Karan Johar has finally spoken out about the controversial episode of his talkshow Koffee with Karan featuring cricketers Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul which aired on 6 January. The sportsmen, Pandya in particular, have been slammed for their racist and sexist comments on the show.
Speaking about the debacle to Times Now, Karan Johar said, “I have to say that I feel very responsible because it was my show, it was my platform. I invited them as guests and so the ramifications and repercussion of the show are my responsibility. I have had so many so many sleepless nights, wondering about how I can undo this damage, who is gonna listen to me. It’s now gone into a zone which is beyond my control.”
The cricketers were sent home from India’s tour of Australia with a ban announced on 11 January following the backlash the show incited. Streaming platform Hotstar has also since pulled down the episode.
Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul are both currently serving suspensions pending an inquiry by the BCCI. However, there has been a roadblock in the proceedings with the CoA asking the Supreme Court to intervene. The latest court calendar suggests the case will come up next week, meaning the players will now also miss almost the entire New Zealand tour on top of the Australia ODI series.
(With inputs from Times Now)
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