Is Salman Khan coming solo on Koffee With Karan 9?  

If reports are to be believed, Salman Khan may be appearing again on Karan Johar’s controversial couch, this time remaining all alone. Since he has a history with the show, a solo Salman episode is precisely the shot in the arm Koffee With Karan needs.  

From very early on, Salman Khan and Karan Johar have formed an unpredictable duo. The superstar has hardly been the most careful guest of the show, and many memorable moments of his career have seen him delivering answers with laughter, a stony face, or a clear refusal to adhere to Karan’s rules.  

Salman to solo it? 

It is said that with Koffee With Karan gearing up for Season 9, Salman is also making his return on the couch. What sets this development apart is the fact that all previous appearances of Salman on the show revolved around him being accompanied by one or several celebrities. The latest reports suggest that Salman could actually start the new season, although there is still no official confirmation from the Koffee With Karan makers. 

And if Salman really does sit across from Karan alone, there is one obvious question: what happens when Karan gets Salman Khan all to himself? We may have the answer if we look at the things Salman has said in the past. 

Let’s start with the obvious one… 

When Salman was guest on Koffee With Karan Season 4 in 2013, he shocked everyone by saying he was still a ‘virgin’ and had been saving himself for his future wife while Karan looked amazed and confused and was trying to process what he heard from the actor. 

This answer by the superstar became one of the hottest topics in the history of the show, remaining one of the most controversial quotes for many years to come. 

But Salman didn’t stop there. While answering Karan’s questions about where he sleeps, he made it clear that he slept alone. And when the conversation moved towards relationships, he claimed he had had “friends” but not “friends with benefits.” It was classic Salman: say something outrageous, keep a completely straight face and let everyone else deal with the disbelief. 

Ranbir Kapoor entered the conversation, repeatedly 

Salman’s fourth season appearance became quite interesting due to the presence of the name Ranbir Kapoor and his former flame Katrina Kaif. 

This happened during the rapid-fire round, when Karan tried to know from Salman about Katrina and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. When asked who he thought was more beautiful, Salman made sure to answer both of them while also shedding some light on possibly Katrina going by some other surname now. 

Salman even took jibes at Karan Johar with reference to Ranbir, stating that Karan had signed Ranbir and that he is taking everything away. While Salman and Katrina’s relationship was in the limelight before that, it had to do a lot with some casual comments made on the show and off-camera. 

His Shah Rukh Khan comments were surprisingly emotional 

It was surprising how emotional he got as far as his comments regarding Shah Rukh Khan were concerned. 

Both of the superstars have had their share of conflicts, so Karan naturally brought up their relationship. Salman mentioned that despite their differences, he believes that he and Shah Rukh will never be the best friends again. However, he mentioned of their relationship with respect and did not appreciate the people who speak ill of Shah Rukh in his presence to gain approval from Salman. 

Salman made a significant point while saying that there is an element of respect beneath all the headlines of rivalry between the two. 

“I’m single, confused, waiting for clearance and in transit” 

While Season 4 witnessed the bombshell of virginity unveiling, Season 5 had something different to offer as it featured another Salman’s classic. Upon being questioned about his relationship status, Salman replied: “Single, confused, waiting for clearance and in transit”.  

The reply became one of the most memorable ones from the episode, particularly considering that the reply came during his personal life was crowded with media attention. And when Karan pushed further to ask him questions about the woman he was purportedly dating, Salman would mostly not comply with Karan’s request and answer him. 

This capacity of revealing something without disclosing everything could be named one of Salman’s biggest advantages as a guest on the show. 

Katrina Kaif was never far from the conversation 

Salman’s participation in the show that took place in 2016 also became almost like a tribute to Katrina Kaif. When Salman was asked to name a person, who could act according to the definition of “Being Clueless”, Salman immediately pointed at Katrina. During the rapid-fire, he interrupted before the options were even properly given and declared, “First four is Katrina.” 

Then came the moment that went viral all over again: Salman stood up and performed the hook step of Katrina’s Sheila Ki Jawaani. He picked Katrina when asked whom he would like to get into friendship during a hypothetical relationship round, though he refused to share the name of the girl he would like to have a marriage with or a fling with. Thus, even though Salman was not talking about his relation with Katrina directly, she managed to creep into his responses anyway. 

“I was not very good in relationships” 

Perhaps, the most honest confession of that episode was also one of the simplest ones. Karan asked Salman about his romantic history and the actor claimed that he was “not the nicest guy” when it came to relationships and that he “was not very good with them.” 

Arbaaz then delivered the punchline, saying that Salman was good to other people in these relationships. The exchange was very funny, though it marked a significant difference with the Salman of the 4th Season. 

So, what happens if Salman really comes alone this time? 

That is the most intriguing part. The reason behind Salman’s past Koffee With Karan appearances working out to some extent is that there was always someone available to react to him, Karan teasing him, Arbaaz or Sohail interrupting him or the discussion going toward Katrina, Ranbir or Shah Rukh’s love affairs. 

This time if he truly appears alone, there will be no place to run away to. There won’t be any brother who can save him from a question. There won’t be any co-guest who can change the topic. Just Salman, Karan and that memorable rapid-fire round. 

Koffee With Karan has considerably changed since Salman’s last appearance. Karan himself has noticed that stars are now much more careful about what they say since anything mentioned/revealed in the show can immediately turn into a social media news or an unpleasant PR situation.  

This is what makes the idea of Salman Khan being one of the few stars who undoubtedly can say anything interesting sitting alone on the couch so appealing. Because if his earlier appearances have taught us anything, it is this: Give Salman Khan a microphone, Karan Johar a few uncomfortable questions and a rapid-fire round, and you may just have tomorrow’s headlines.