Karan Johar has called out Bollywood’s obsession with trends—and he’s not mincing words. In an exclusive chat with Bollywood Hungama, the filmmaker criticized the rising “herd mentality” in the industry, where everyone seems to be chasing the same formula for success.
From the mass appeal of Pushpa to the hype around Chhaava and Stree 2, Karan sees a worrying pattern. “Suddenly everyone wants to make horror comedies or historical dramas. Why? Because one worked. But they forget—it worked because it was unique,” he said.
“How Does That Affect Us?”
For moviegoers, this could mean more recycled stories and fewer original hits. The box office may be filled with action-packed universes and cookie-cutter thrillers, but where’s the fresh voice? Karan believes that storytelling—not trend-chasing—is what audiences actually crave.
In other words, if everyone’s making Pushpa 2.0, who’s making the next Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham?
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Johar, known for producing a range of genres through Dharma Productions, praised the creators of India’s growing cinematic universes. “What Dinesh Vijan did with Maddock’s horror comedy universe is fantastic. And Aditya Chopra’s Spy Universe? Phenomenal,” he said.
But Karan drew a clear line: “If I start emulating them, how am I going to stand out?” His answer: he won’t. That’s why he’s sticking to storytelling as his personal universe.
Herd Mentality: The Silent Killer of Creativity
He points out that success can’t be copied. “You can’t emulate success. You create it with your own individuality,” Johar said, delivering what felt like both a warning and a challenge to fellow filmmakers.
The My Name is Khan director isn’t against universe-building. But only if it comes naturally. “If there is a universe in my story, then why not? But I’m not chasing it.”
The Bottom Line: Be the Story, Not the Trend
Karan Johar’s take is simple: don’t be a copy of someone else’s success story. Build your own.
As he put it best: “My universe is cinema. My universe is stories.”
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