Karan Johar’s final season of Koffee With Karan opened with Salman Khan on the couch and a question that could have started a fan war: which performance hit harder, Ranbir Kapoor in Animal or Ranveer Singh in Dhurandhar? Salman did not take the bait.
Salman refuses to turn it into a contest
During the rapid-fire round, Karisma Kapoor joined as a special guest and asked Salman to choose the more impactful performance. His response was categorical: the two turns are not built for comparison.
Salman said, “Two different kinds of performance. You cannot compare any of them.” When Karisma suggested he was being diplomatic, he clarified that he genuinely believes both actors deserve equal appreciation. One performance, he said, has tremendous energy; the other has tremendous intensity. The acting styles are simply different.
Why Ranveer’s controlled turn impressed him
Salman’s most revealing comment was about restraint. Ranveer Singh is known for going larger than life on screen. Dhurandhar, he explained, asked the actor to hold all that energy back.
That is harder than it looks. An actor who can dial down a signature strength is showing real confidence in the character. “He is very secure as an actor,” Salman said of Ranveer. Karan Johar agreed.
The films behind the debate
- Animal (December 1, 2023): Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s revenge drama, with Ranbir Kapoor as Ranvijay Singh, whose father’s attack triggers a violent mission. Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol and Triptii Dimri also star.
- Dhurandhar (December 5, 2025): Aditya Dhar’s spy action thriller, with Ranveer Singh as Hamza Ali Mazari, an undercover Indian operative in Karachi. The cast includes Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan and Arjun Rampal.
- Dhurandhar: The Revenge (March 19, 2026): The sequel that quickly followed in cinemas.
What this says about stardom
For celebrity-watchers, the exchange is more than a soundbite. It reframes the way performances are compared. Loud, explosive roles get attention, but a held-back turn can be just as demanding. Impact is not measured in volume.
It is also a useful lens on range. When a star known for going big chooses to go small, that choice becomes part of the performance.
The final-season couch is filling up
Koffee With Karan Season 9 is billed as the final season, streaming every Thursday at 7PM on JioHotstar. Hindustan Times has reported that Shah Rukh Khan is expected to appear as the final guest; Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan are also expected later in the season.
Source: Hindustan Times
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