Indian cricketer, KL Rahul recently looked back at the 'Koffee With Karan' controversy that happened in 2019. He shared how the incident scarred him for life.
Indian cricketer, KL Rahul got embroiled in a controversy when he graced Koffee With Karan (KWK) along with his fellow teammate, Hardik Pandya, back in 2019. Their inappropriate remarks related to women caused a huge uproar on social media, even leading the streaming platform, Disney+Hotstar to pull down the particular episode.
Recently, KL Rahul appeared on the talk show, WTF on Zerodha co-founder, Nikhil Kamath's YouTube channel, along with Kriti Sanon and Badshah, and spoke at length about his professional front. During the conversation, the host inquired how he dealt with incessant online trolling. The cricketer said that he was good with handling trolls before Koffee With Karan. However, after the show, everything changed.
Rahul mentioned that he never paid much heed to the noises around him, but after he appeared on Koffee With Karan, he faced a lot of trolling. The cricketer claimed that he received backlash for even sitting or standing. Sharing how the KWK interview was a different world altogether, the Indian cricketer added:
"I think a couple of years back I was exposed to a lot of trolling. If I sat I got trolled if I stood I got trolled. The interview was a different world altogether, that changed me."
The cricketer discussed how he used to be shy and soft-spoken while growing up, but once he started playing for India, he became very confident. KL mentioned that he had no problem being in a huge group of people. However, after the interview, he avoided doing all this as it scarred him massively. He was quoted as saying:
"I was a very shy, soft-spoken boy growing up. Then I played for India and became very confident, I had no problem being in a huge group of people. People will know I have been in a room of 100 people because I would talk to everyone. Now I don't (do that) because that (KWK) interview scarred me massively."
Further, in the conversation, KL revealed he had never been suspended in his life earlier. Although he was punished for his mischievous actions, he was never expelled from the school. However, after the interview, getting suspended from the Indian team made him realise the gravity of the situation. KL was quoted as saying:
"Getting suspended from the team. I have never been suspended in school, I have never been punished in school. Matlab woh hua hi nahi hai mere saath. I don't know how to handle it. I did mischievous things in schools like chota mota (small things), but nothing to get me expelled from school or my parents have had to come. That was my first, and then you realise how bad it is."
Check out the interview here.
KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya appeared on Karan Johar's infamous chat show, Koffee With Karan season 6 in 2019. During their conversation with the host, the cricketers made some inappropriate sexist remarks, which did not go down well with the audience. After the episode aired, they came under the wrath of the people on the internet.
Despite their public apologies, the BCCI suspended KL and Hardik from the team and ousted them from a three-match ODI series against Australia. Moreover, the cricketers were also fined Rs. 20 lakh each. Meanwhile, after the episode, the show's host, Karan Johar, also apologised and shared that he was, too, responsible for the repercussions the cricketers faced.
What do you think of KL Rahul's revelations about the Koffee With Karan controversy?
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