Salman Khan defends Ranveer Singh, calling him a 'secure actor'—and why comparisons to Ranbir’s Animal don’t work.

On the final season of Koffee With Karan, Salman Khan became the first guest of the season where Karan Johar talked about everything from his career to his health and beyond. During the conversation, Salman has shared why he would not compare Ranveer Singh's performance in Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge with Ranbir Kapoor's in Animal. During the premiere episode of Season 9, the actor was asked to choose the more impactful performance between the two films. Instead of picking a winner, Salman explained how both actors brought different strengths to their roles.

During the rapid-fire segment, Karisma Kapoor made a special appearance to ask questions to Salman and host Karan Johar. She asked Salman which performance had made a greater impact, Ranbir Kapoor in Animal or Ranveer Singh in Dhurandhar.

Salman refused to choose between the two, explaining that their performances were different in nature. He said, "Two different kinds of performance. You cannot compare any of them." When Karisma suggested that he was being diplomatic, Salman clarified that he genuinely felt both actors deserved equal appreciation.

He went onto say, "It is not diplomatic at all. Both are fantastic actors. One has got tremendous amount of energy. One has got tremendous amount of intensity. Both have different styles of acting."

Salman went on to explain what impressed him about Ranveer's performance in Dhurandhar. The actor is known for his energetic performances and larger-than-life screen presence, but Salman pointed out that the role required him to hold back rather than go all out. He felt that this restraint showed how comfortable Ranveer was with his character.

He added, "Especially for Ranveer in Dhurandhar, he had to control all his energy. He does everything larger than life and he had to control that big time. For an actor, that's a huge amount of insecurity that he did not have it in the film. He is very secure as an actor and in that role in Dhurandhar."

Karan agreed with Salman's assessment, responding, "Correct, well said."

Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Animal was released in theatres on December 1, 2023. The film follows Ranvijay Singh, played by Ranbir, whose complicated relationship with his father, Balbir Singh (Anil Kapoor), shapes much of his life. When his father comes under attack, Ranvijay returns home and sets out on a violent mission for revenge. The film also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol and Triptii Dimri.

Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar arrived in theatres on December 5, 2025. The spy action thriller stars Ranveer Singh as Hamza Ali Mazari, an undercover Indian operative who infiltrates Karachi's criminal underworld to gather intelligence and dismantle a dangerous network. As he gets deeper into the world of gang rivalries and political connections, his mission becomes increasingly complicated. The film also features Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan and Arjun Rampal. The sequel Dhurandhar The Revenge arrived in cinemas on March 19, 2026.

Marking the final season, Karan Johar will be back on the couch every Thursday at 7PM on JioHotstar. Hindustan Times reported that Shah Rukh Khan is said to be final guest on the show, who was also the first guest alongside Kajol in the first season in 2002. Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Saif Ali Khan are expected to be on the show as guests too,