KWK Season 8 Review - Episodes ranked from the worst to the best
Rank #12 – Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor (Episode no. 11)
This was the most boring of all the episodes in this season. It felt like hearing two Janhvi Kapoors speak one after another. It might have been a moment of joy for her fans. Only they will be able to confirm. Rapid fire saved this episode, as Janhvi was determined to be honest, and she did succeed in lighting a small fire.
Rank #11- Aditya Roy Kapur and Arjun Kapoor (Episode no. 8)
Another episode which could have been the worst but was saved by Arjun Kapoor just bonding with the boys. Minus points to Aditya Roy Kapur for being completely unaware of Hindi film references but plus points to the other two boys for simply laughing so much that the audience will laugh along. Arjun’s clarity of thought on his personal life is nothing new, but the way he reflected on professional ups and downs in the industry puts some perspective in place. With all the thirst traps out there, this had the potential to become one of the best episodes but sadly, could not.
Rank #10 – Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty (Episode no. 9)
Dressed in formals, Rohit Shetty giggled like a coy boy in Ajay and Karan’s presence throughout the episode, making it surprisingly different and quite contrary to the action director avatar that we usually see him in. This was a good trivia episode where we learnt some interesting facts, whether it was the equation between Manoj Kumar and Raj Kapoor or the Amrish Puri anecdotes about a close-knit community feeling back in the day. Interesting fact, Ajay does not attend parties or award functions and still, has managed to give successful films. This shows that networking is not the only formula to success. Cut to Rohit Shetty who has never thrown a party in his entire life. Ajay deliberated that if a film has failed or succeeded, it means that the process has failed or succeeded. Now, this is something that is not just applicable to films, but to any project in general, and is great advice to give. Rohit added that his Singham star and Salman are two people who would be sitting outside their vans and chilling, regardless of the money their films were going to make. Highlight of the rapid fire was Karan asking Ajay if he would do a bad film if his friend was making it to which Ajay responded that he has already done it quite a few times before, while Rohit nodded in agreement. The episode ended with Rohit’s rapid fire where he was surprised at people acting surprised when they see the Paps. When asked if films should make you think, he said “Ghanta”!
Rank #09 – Vicky Kaushal and Kiara Advani (Episode no. 7)
This episode was much awaited, especially after Sid’s appearance this season. Considering Sid and Kiara’s wedding went viral, the audience was expecting to see both of them on the couch. Vicky was real about learning on the job, even if it is about History as a subject. Just the fact that Kiara chose to speak up for herself on being called a lucky mascot, is something that makes me very happy because women in today’s world are done being just that. Thank God for bringing back the Koffee shots. It is a tried and tested game from earlier seasons and is sure to hit the spot. The most beautiful part about this episode was Kiara revealing the link between Sid’s last season appearance and his proposal to her in Rome. Don’t we all love these cute romantic revelations, as we already know the Rome connection from her wedding lehenga. From a woman’s side of the story on choosing her wedding ring to a man’s side of the story on managing proposal expectations, this episode was all things cute we were waiting for. From Vicky’s “Let me talks” to Kiara’s “Sharing responsibilities” they talked about all the sweet necessities of married life. Karan also hinted at the perils of having a destination wedding in the scorching heat of Rajasthan, for all of you who are planning to have one after gushing over their dreamy shots! Cherry on the cake were Vicky’s Dhamakedaar dance moves. It felt like watching 5 Instagram reels of him dancing back-to-back and you can’t decide which one you like better!
Rank #08 – Kareena Kapoor Khan and Alia Bhatt (Episode no. 4)
This episode had the potential to be the #1 episode of this season but alas, it was not worth the wait! Only Karan was trying hard to make this episode entertaining. He was almost on the verge of getting a scolding from Kareena when he mentioned Ameesha. Karan also tried to address the insecurities actors may have when they see their actor-partners with their respective co-stars, but they gave him no tea. He tried his best to put Alia-related internet blunders to rest. Though he still couldn’t control himself from gushing over “legacy friendships” around both of them, which seemed rather unnecessary after so many nepotism debates.
Rank #07 – Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan (Episode no. 5)
10 extra points straightaway for a 10-minute laughter streak I had watching this episode. Never has any other episode made me laugh so much this season. While I was waiting to hear Sid speak about Kiara and the wedding, all of them would just not stop talking about Alia. They went on and on which was a bit annoying. Still, Alia sharing the story of Edward just melts you and you forgive the intrusion. Varun made a heroic entry but Sid stole the show after that. He was real and had a better rapid fire round. Both were scared about the repercussions of what they speak on the show, but I loved it when Sid said he’s not offended by Kiara’s work in Lust Stories. With Sid being Sid, ready with some great answers and Varun being Varun, trying to make sense by explaining his answers, this episode had all the suave and all the crazy we were hoping for!
Rank #06 – Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol (Episode no. 2)
This episode released right on time when everyone was soaking in the Gadar 2 phenomenon. While Sunny was dressed rather formally in mellow tones, Bobby dressed exactly the opposite in flamboyant casuals. Continuing with the realistic take in this season, the muscular and emotional Deol brothers talked about a lot of things including drinking issues, release date clashes, organic collections, and teddy bears! While Sunny said he does not endorse Paid PR, Bobby accepted that the way to move forward is to move in the direction that the world is going. Dharam Paji’s message to his sons brought tears to my eyes and can make you start missing your family. The rapid fire could have had more fire, but one can notice KJo using the tricks up his sleeve to make Sunny more comfortable on the couch and extracted the maximum he could. The episode ended with Lord Bobby revealing that he knows he is Lord Bobby after all! This leaves us with no room for doubt on why he is called so.
Rank #05 – Sara Ali Khan and Ananya Panday (Episode no. 3)
The reason for placing this episode so high up is that it was full of entertainment and the rapid fire finally had some fire. Isn’t that the reason why we wait for KWK to come back with a new season every time? They took a 180 degree turn after the first two episodes and KJo was back asking all kinds of unserious questions on dating life, breakups, marriage ideas, parties, friends, airport looks and Paps. I did not like any of the new games they came up with, but the questions were answered well, especially on the roles of their parents and its implications. One can clearly see the differences between two people from the same industry, how they become different versions of their parents, and have more clarity than confusion on what they want in life. My favorite part was Karan talking about his personal issues with Kareena and Kajol to make his guests more comfortable on the couch.
Rank #04 – Zeenat Aman and Neetu Kapoor (Episode no. 12) This episode was such a breath of fresh air with Zeenat Aman and Neetu Kapoor gracing the couch. It was interesting to watch Neetu ji bring in her own movie’s references “Khel Khel Mein” while talking about her life. It was a joy to watch her fondly recall joint family days with the Kapoors. While Neetu Kapoor was honest in her rapid fire, Zeenat Aman’s rapid fire was the sassiest!
Rank #03 -Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh (Episode no. 1)
The Season 8 opening episode had to be in top 3 just with how far and wide it spread. Interestingly, the episode starts with KJo stating how a single post on social media can lead to a full-blown nightmare. My favorite word from the introduction had to be RSDP’d. The proposal story was, of course, dreamy as hell! The entire country waited for 5 long years to see their wedding video and finally there it was! We had a hint that this was coming, and it was worth the wait. The exotic beauty of Lake Como, the emotional storytelling, royal colors, the blend of modernity with traditions, and a final laugh with the Paps. It would have been incomplete without Ranveer’s eccentric gestures. It brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it. Karan decided to cry and change gears there onwards. The show took a serious turn and there were talks about challenges in relationships, professional failures, personal style, anxiety, depression, and everything else that Koffee with Karan is not known for. Very very serious stuff. Karan‘s strategy for this season was to talk about his personal life, which he avoided in the earlier seasons, and get more vulnerable as a host. Can you imagine Ranveer Singh was made to wear black clothes, talk serious, and was a complete bore in rapid fire. At least, he continued to hype his wife and one could still see glimpses of him being the Ranveer Singh that we know. Deepika’s rapid fire started with a bang, but the fire died rapidly. Thanks to Ranveer for bringing back Hrithik’s mimicry from the opening episode of last season. We wanted to laugh a lot more and feel lighter. But then, there are always other episodes for that.
Rank #02 – Sharmila Tagore and Saif Ali Khan (Episode no. 10)
This episode starts with calling the show a guilty pleasure and in this era of Father-Son movies making a comeback, wouldn’t we love the episode with a Mother-Son duo. Millennials started watching KWK with their families at home and calling two actors from different generations makes the best concoction for a family watch. It is an unbelievable fact that Sharmila Tagore started working way back in 1959. I was fearing sitting through the bikini shot discussions and Karan decided to make that the first topic for an ice breaker. I must say that only Karan could have pulled it off. Saif’s stories of mischief from his growing up years would make one think twice about becoming a parent. Sharmila ji was grace personified and extremely supportive while talking about her son’s milestones in life. Falling in love with the art, with the journey, and not with the outcome that Sharmila ji had nudged Saif to realize was a beautiful thought to leave the viewers with.
Rank #01 – Kajol and Rani Mukherji (Episode no. 6)
Karan will not be Karan Johar without the movies that made him. Similarly, KWK will not be KWK without the opening episodes of the first two seasons. Nostalgia hit hard in this episode. Rani was her usual poised self that she is when Karan and Kajol are around, while Kajol was being her dramatic self. From the struggles of losing weight to the dialogue delivery expectations, it was a treat for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai fans. At this point, one could have even hoped for SRK to grace the couch this season anytime closer to his then upcoming release. There were a lot of similarities with the Rani from Season 2 Episode 1 where one could see glimpses of her feeling like an introverted fresher around her boisterous seniors. Highlight of this episode was Karan’s London shopping story back in 1997 with Manish Malhotra and the confusion it caused. We are told that Anjali’s iconic Red jumpsuit in Koi Mil Gaya song was from Baby GAP! Portrayal of cousins was very realistic and so was members of the family coming closer to support each other in difficult times. All in all, it was a popcorn munching episode served with bursts of laughter on the side.
Special mention (Episode no. 13)
Special mention for the most entertaining chunk in the entire season — The Internet Sensation, Orry! He is Gen Z’s fitting response to the millennial era of trolls. Whatever questions were thrown at him were answered thinking not just one but two steps ahead. And don’t we love stories of how life always comes a full circle. Orry left the audience gasping at his speedy train of thought while he left Karan fiddling with his rings like he was listening to the narration of a suspense story!