Karan Johar calls out Bollywood herd mentality: why copying hits stifles creativity

Karan Johar highlights Bollywood's growing trend of mimicking successful films like Chhaava, Stree, and Pushpa, warning that this herd mentality risks stalling innovation. He advocates for unique storytelling over formulaic imitations, emphasizing cinema as a space for original narratives rather than repetitive universes.

Sources:
NDTV
Updated 2h ago
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Sources: NDTV
Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar has openly criticized the industry's tendency to follow trends rather than innovate, calling it a 'herd mentality' that limits creativity.

He pointed to recent successes like Chhaava and Stree as examples where one film's popularity sparked a wave of similar projects, diluting originality. Johar explained, "I think it is everybody grappling to do what others are doing. We see Pushpa running and catering so strongly to the tier-2 and tier-3 audiences, and suddenly, we will see 20 others wanting to do the same."

Johar emphasized the importance of unique storytelling over formulaic universes, stating, "We all need to have individual thoughts that are unique to ourselves. Someone asked me the other day, 'Do you have a universe?' I was like, 'As in?' They were like, 'A spy universe or a cop universe.' I was like, 'My universe is cinema itself.'"

He further clarified his approach: "I am not here to build universes, I am here to tell stories. In that story if there's a universe, then why not?"

Johar's critique highlights a growing concern in Bollywood where commercial success often drives filmmakers to replicate popular genres such as historical dramas and horror comedies, potentially stifling innovation and diversity in Indian cinema.

This call for originality comes amid a surge of films targeting specific audience segments, with many producers eager to replicate the success of hits like Pushpa, which resonated strongly with tier-2 and tier-3 city viewers.

Johar's perspective encourages filmmakers to break free from the cycle of imitation and focus on crafting distinct narratives that reflect their unique creative vision.
Sources: NDTV
Filmmaker Karan Johar criticized Bollywood's 'herd mentality,' highlighting how copying successful genres like historicals and horror comedies stifles creativity. Citing films such as Chhaava, Stree, and Pushpa, he urged the industry to embrace unique storytelling rather than mimic trends.
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I think it is everybody grappling to do what others are doing. We see Pushpa running and catering so strongly to the tier-2 and tier-3 audiences, and suddenly, we will see 20 others wanting to do the same. You see Chhaava working, everybody would want to make historicals. Stree and everybody wants to make horror comedies.
Karan Johar
NDTV
We all need to have individual thoughts that are unique to ourselves. Someone asked me the other day, 'Do you have a universe?' I was like, 'As in?' They were like, 'A spy universe or a cop universe.' I was like, 'My universe is cinema itself.' I am not here to build universes, I am here to tell stories. In that story if there's a universe, then why not?
Karan Johar
NDTV
Key Facts
  • Bollywood films like Chhaava and Stree sparked a wave of historical and horror-comedy imitations across the industry.NDTV
  • Pushpa's success in tier-2 and tier-3 markets led to many filmmakers trying to replicate its formula to cater to similar audiences.NDTV
  • Karan Johar publicly criticized this 'herd mentality' urging filmmakers to focus on unique, individual storytelling rather than copying trends.NDTV
Key Stats at a Glance
Number of filmmakers wanting to replicate Pushpa's formula
20
NDTV
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