Karan Johar defended Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda after their Koffee With Karan appearance attracted criticism. In an interview, the filmmaker slammed people for judging their relationship and dragging their families into the discussion. Recalling the backlash faced by Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, Karan called such criticism regressive and urged people to appreciate honesty.