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Photos: Step inside the sets of Koffee with Karans 9th and final season

Oct 15, 2026 · 1:23 PM Blog By onmynews.com

Few talk shows have built a cult status and become a part of pop culture as much as Koffee with Karan. The coffee mugs, the couch of manifestation and the questions that have sparked conversations long after an episode aired have become synonymous with the show. With its final season marking the end of an era, Filmfare visited the sets of Koffee with Karan at YRF Studios to take a closer look at the space where some of Bollywood’s most talked-about conversations have unfolded.

The first thing that catches the eye is the scale of the set. Warm wooden panels, rich rust and orange tones, and gold detailing give the space a distinctive look. An illustrated cityscape stretches across the curved backdrop, adding another layer to the design. At the centre of it all is the familiar seating arrangement, featuring a long, rust-coloured sofa, also known as the couch of manifestation, and a single armchair, positioned around a low coffee table.

Another section houses the show’s collection of coffee mugs. Over the years, the mugs have become as familiar to viewers as the couch itself.

There is also the Koffee shredder, an interactive feature that invites visitors to write something about themselves and feed it into the shredder. The idea is to put something down on paper and let it go. It adds a playful, participatory element to the set.

As the series reaches its 9th and final season, stepping inside the space provides a glimpse of the setting behind a talk show that has remained a fixture of Bollywood’s popular culture.

Koffee with Karan season 9 is streaming on JioHotstar.

Check out the photos below:

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Akbar Khan: âœSmita Patil seemed to possess an instinctive understanding of the human soulâ

Oct 15, 2026 · 1:23 PM Blog By onmynews.com

Smita was an extraordinary actress, an artiste who seemed to possess an instinctive understanding of the human soul behind every character she portrayed. With films like Manthan, Bhoomika, Aakrosh, Chakra, perhaps confined either to that of an oppressed lady or a village rebel. And she was always mostly dressed in sarees or, you know, village attire.

I would like to believe that Haadsaa was the first film which tried to unshackle her from the stereotype. It’s unfortunate the film took five years to make. But during the making itself preview circles had seen her glamorous avatar and I’d like to believe that she signed up for films like Namak Halal and Shakti because of the buzz about Haadsaa. It was her eyes and her movie face which struck me

I vaguely recall, I think it was Vinod Khanna who had mentioned her name to me. It’s possible that he may have shared her phone number with me. I have a feeling, I’m not too sure. I had considered Shabana Azmi too for the role but something about Smita made me plumb for her. I had brought out for her to be a modern, seductress. I had to break her image. To play the high society, schizophrenic woman with an impotent husband. She would have to swing from absolutely normal to raving crazy all in one shot. And that only a trained actor would have been able to do. She took to the character like fish to water and my gut instinct proved right about her.

Me and her designer sister Manya worked on her look, we used seriously glamorous make up. Her make over was intense. In addition the fact that she was intense and intelligent kept me on my toes as a debutant director. She would imbibe the character, the narration of the character she’s portraying. She would internalise it, vulnerability, the sensuality that the character demanded, its fears and its darkness. She delivered every nuance of my character and maybe added tons to it.

I recall her dad Shivaji Rao Patil at the trial of the film saying it’s one of my daughter’s best Performances. I remember Mahesh Bhatt used to come and sit on my sets to meet her. In those days, he was making Arth. And my film was launched much earlier, but Arth released earlier.

A little digression. NN Sippy was keen to produce my film, and it was sort of my debut with me acting ( I had done Anjaan Rahen before that ) and directing, but that came unstuck. Mr Sippy was busy with Fakira and another film with Subhash Ghai, so my film went on the back burner.

So as a beginner I could shoot only when the money came in from financiers, and that’s why it took five years to release. Don’t forget, until then I was just an assistant director to director Mohan Bijlani and then to my older brother Feroz Khan, barely making a few thousand.

So I started my career with 35,000 rupees in financing from a friend’s father, Manubhai Desai. I made the first reel of my film, and I had to show one reel after another to get more and more financing. But nobody could tell that this film took five years to finish. It was a very highly, what should I say, technically advanced film with a story ahead of its time. It had some great music also.

I remember a scene where we shot at Marine Drive with Smita chasing me all over Bombay, coming out of the car and yelling her head off. It was all in real time. There was such a traffic jam; she gave her shot and then had to be bundled back into the car. There was a bottleneck because of the traffic jam. It was a close shave for us. I remember being so emotionally moved by her in that shot, and I stood transfixed.

We had also shot a film called Mr Aashiq with Parveen Babi and Smita. I was shooting with Parveen for a song sequence and I remember looking into her eyes and it looked like a graveyard. She was so lost in that schedule. Alas, Parveen had a nervous breakdown and she went away, and the film came unstuck. Then Smita too passed away. So Tanvir Ahmed, the director of Mr Aashiq, took sequences of Smita and Parveen from there and added them to Aakarshan, which he was making with Sonu Walia and me. So if you see Aakarshan, you will see both the actors in that as well. It was a nice story of an actor and actress set against the backdrop of showbiz. Tanvir was a sensitive and talented man, but luck wasn’t on his side. Perhaps he was also pressured deeply by the producers to release a hastily put-together film.

It was all so tragic because in my personal life too, there was a tragedy. Just two days before Smita passed away, my sister Dilshad lost her husband. It was a bitter winter in Kashmir when all this happened. My brother-in-law passed away on the 10th of December, and Smita passed away three days later.

Also Read: Exclusive: Priya Banerjee on Mother-in-law Smita Patil: “She Was a Lot Like Me”

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Krithi Shetty to Make Bollywood Debut With Hum Tere Pyaar Mein: What We Know

Oct 15, 2026 · 4:24 PM Blog By onmynews.com

Krithi Shetty is finally heading to Bollywood, more than five years after making her Telugu debut. The actress has reportedly been cast in a romantic comedy tentatively titled Hum Tere Pyaar Mein, to be directed by debutant Vidhi Ghodgaonkar. Vidhi previously assisted Rohit Shetty on films such as Chennai Express, Singham and the Golmaal series.

The move marks something of a full circle for Krithi. Before her breakthrough in South Indian cinema, she had a minor, uncredited role as a student in Hrithik Roshan’s Super 30 (2019).

A dream start, a dull patch

Krithi began her Telugu film career on a high with the blockbuster Uppena, which made her an overnight sensation. She followed it with Shyam Singha Roy, opposite Nani, and Bangarraju, completing a hat-trick of successful films. However, her subsequent releases struggled to recreate that early success. Custody, opposite Naga Chaitanya; Manamey, alongside Sharwanand; Macherla Niyojakavargam, starring Nithiin; and The Warriorr, opposite Ram Pothineni, failed to match the impact of her initial outings.

In Tamil cinema, she has projects such as Vaa Vaathiyaar, opposite Karthi, and Love Insurance Kompany, alongside Pradeep Ranganathan. In Telugu, she is also associated with January 12 Vidudala, reportedly featuring Nandamuri Kalyan Ram. The project could offer another opportunity to regain momentum, particularly with director Anil Ravipudi, known for delivering commercial successes, at the helm.

With a Bollywood debut on the horizon and several projects in the pipeline, Krithi appears poised to enter a new phase of her career.

No formal training

Krithi did not attend a formal drama school before making her breakthrough with Uppena. Since then, she has worked on her craft through acting workshops, dance classes, horse-riding lessons and action training. She also reads widely to broaden her perspective and understanding of the world.

The actress has often cited Aamir Khan as an inspiration, admiring his ability to inhabit diverse characters without repeating the same screen persona. It is a quality she hopes to emulate as she explores different roles and expands her repertoire.

Her mother also plays an important role in her career decisions. During script discussions, the two assess whether a story offers Krithi a meaningful role and brings something fresh to audiences. As she prepares to enter Hindi cinema, that approach could help her navigate a new industry while continuing to build on her experience in the South.

Also Read: January 12 Vidudala Makers Celebrate Krithi Shetty’s Birthday

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