Karan Johar warns Bollywood: trust your vision, ditch the herd mentality

Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar has issued a strong warning against the industry's growing "herd mentality," where filmmakers increasingly replicate successful formulas instead of innovating. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Johar highlighted that the success of films like "Pushpa" and "Stree" stemmed from their originality and distinct storytelling rather than following trends.

"The reason films like 'Stree' and 'Pushpa' did well is because they were different and strong in their own way," Johar said, emphasizing the importance of trusting one's own creative vision.

Johar criticized the current trend of creating interconnected film universes and urged filmmakers to focus on unique narratives. He believes that blindly following the success of others leads to stagnation in the industry.

"Filmmakers need to trust their own thoughts and ideas rather than follow others," he added, underscoring the value of individual creativity over herd behavior.

This call to action from one of Bollywood's leading directors comes amid concerns that the industry is becoming overly formulaic, risking originality and diversity in storytelling. Johar's message encourages filmmakers to break free from imitation and embrace innovation to sustain Bollywood's creative vitality.

Karan Johar cautioned Bollywood against following the 'herd mentality,' urging filmmakers to trust their unique vision instead of replicating successful formulas like 'Pushpa' and 'Stree.' He stressed that originality and strong storytelling are key to the industry's success, not creating film universes or copying hits.