Shivani
Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra recently appeared on Koffee With Karan 9 alongside his wife, Kiara Advani. During the conversation, a remark he made about actor Kartik Aaryan grabbed viewers’ attention, triggering mixed reactions and sparking discussions across social media platforms, with fans sharing their opinions online. Bollywood’s growing dependence on publicity machinery has sparked several discussions, with Kartik Aaryan often becoming a part of the conversation.
Earlier this year, actor Vijay Varma sparked an online debate by calling him the ‘King of PR’. Now, Sidharth Malhotra seems to have joined the discussion with a similar remark. During his appearance on Koffee With Karan Season 9, alongside his wife Kiara Advani, Sidharth commented that Kartik, popularly known for Chandu Champion, had a ‘great PR budget’, bringing the actor’s publicity strategies back into the spotlight.
Sidharth Malhotra Takes a Subtle Dig at Kartik Aaryan on KWK 9
During the rapid-fire round of Koffee With Karan 9, Karan Johar asked Sidharth Malhotra what other actors possessed that he did not. When Kartik Aaryan’s name came up, the Vvaan actor responded with a witty remark, leaving the conversation entertaining and adding humour to the show. “Great PR budget that he has.”
In the show the actor, also discussed Bollywood’s growing culture of paid PR. Sharing his perspective on the practice, he expressed his concerns about how promotional strategies influence public perception and shape the image of celebrities in the industry. “Paid PR, I feel, is unnecessary at times. It’s like I’m transferring funds from one account of my own to another account.” Kiara Advani, meanwhile, agreed with her husband and called the practice “stupid.”
Internet REACTS on Sidharth Malhotra’s Comment
Kartik Aaryan’s fans, who took to social media to take digs at Sidharth. Meanwhile, some questioned Karan for repeatedly mentioning Kartik on his show. However, others supported Sidharth’s remark, agreeing that the Satyaprem Ki Katha actor appeared to have a strong public relations (PR) team working behind the scenes. ‘Kartik Aaryan is an outsider, successful and earns very well, so he can afford PR. You got kicked by your debut production and gave back-to-back flops,” read an angry post.
One tweet read, “Siddharth saying we need to be united as an industry and the very next moment he threw Kartik Aaryan under the bus and he objected to promoting Yeh Prem Mol Liya… Bit hypocritical..” “KJO and his obsession with Kartik Aryan. Kartik Aryan worked hard and has his own fans now. Whereas ur so -called launched stars have paid PR. If you can’t accept his success at least don’t be jealous of it,” penned a fan. Kartik’s PR strategy has previously attracted considerable attention online. Earlier this year, comments made by Gully Boy actor Vijay Varma about Kartik also triggered widespread discussions on social media, sparking debate among fans and raising questions about the actor’s publicity tactics.
Sidharth Malhotra’s Upcoming Project
On the professional work front, Sidharth Malhotra was last seen in the fantasy thriller The Vvaan: Force of the Forest, which hit theatres on September 25, 2026. He recently made a television appearance alongside his wife, Kiara Advani, on an episode of Koffee With Karan in November 2026.