Karan Johar brings back his 13-year-old question for Salman Khan, and this time gets a different answer

Highlights:

• Salman Khan is the first guest of Koffee With Karan season 9, which the show describes as its last
• The new promo has Karan Johar asking, "Are you still a virgin?", a callback to Salman's 2013 appearance
• Salman answers with a joking "control" line, imitating actor Ravi Kishan, according to Times of India
• He also teases Karan about telling guests it's the final season and jokes about a "Koffee With Salman"
• The season premieres Wednesday, October 14 on JioHotstar

Karan Johar has a long memory, and he's using it for the last season of his show.

In the promo for Koffee With Karan season 9, Karan turns to Salman Khan, the opening guest, and asks him the same blunt question he put to him on his debut visit to the couch in 2013. Back then, Salman said yes, and added that he was saving himself for marriage. This time, there's no straight answer. Salman falls back on a "control" line, which reports say he delivered in the manner of actor Ravi Kishan, and Karan laughs.

The rest of the promo

The question is the headline, but it isn't the only moment in the clip. Salman takes a dig at Karan for telling celebrities that this is the final season in order to convince them to show up. He also jokes that he could start a "Koffee With Salman" once Karan's show wraps up. At another point, he borrows a line from Karan's directorial debut Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and asks him not to go.

There's a quieter beat as well. Karan tells Salman he looks calm and composed, which turns the tone reflective for a moment. The promo also shows Salman giving a humorous take on paparazzi culture, though the clip doesn't reveal what he says.

Why the callback works

Salman is no newcomer to this couch. He first appeared in season 4 in 2013, and he returned for the show's 100th episode in season 5 with his brothers Arbaaz and Sohail. Reports describe this as his third appearance. That history is what gives the question its edge: his 2013 answer became one of the show's best-known moments, and Karan has kept it in his back pocket for 13 years.

Why it matters

Koffee With Karan began in 2004, so season 9 closes out a 22-year run. Karan has described this as the final season, which is exactly the claim Salman pokes fun at in the promo. The show moves to JioHotstar for its last run and premieres on October 14, with Salman's episode opening the season.

What we don't know yet

Everything above comes from the promo. The full episode isn't out, so what Salman says beyond the teaser, including whether he gives a fuller answer, will only be clear once it streams. Different outlets also transcribe his "control" line slightly differently, which is common with fast, mumbled promo audio.