Filmmaker and producer Karan Johar has raised questions about the changing working culture in Bollywood, particularly the growing involvement of actors in decisions that traditionally fall under the responsibility of directors, producers and other creative professionals. In a candid conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Johar expressed frustration over actors questioning casting choices, VFX budgets, promotional strategies and even the final cuts of film trailers.
The filmmaker believes that Bollywood is increasingly moving away from creative instincts and becoming dependent on formulas that are perceived to be commercially successful. He also criticised the tendency among actors to demand more powerful, aggressive and 'alpha' characters, suggesting that this mindset can limit storytelling.
Johar's comments have once again brought the industry's internal working culture into the spotlight, especially the relationship between actors and filmmakers.
Karan Johar Says Actors Want to Become Box-Office Experts
One of Johar's strongest observations concerned actors who want to influence almost every aspect of a film's production and marketing.
He said that some actors now want to become box-office experts, trade analysts, perception setters, campaign planners, trailer editors and poster designers. According to him, their involvement is no longer limited to understanding their characters and delivering performances.
Johar questioned why actors want to take responsibility for so many other departments when their primary job is to act.
He also revealed that filmmakers are increasingly asked questions about the VFX budget and other technical aspects of a project by actors who are not necessarily involved in producing the film.
Johar expressed surprise at this growing interference, arguing that filmmakers are capable of taking responsibility for the visual quality and creative execution of their own projects.
His comments reflect a larger debate about the balance of authority between stars and filmmakers in an industry where leading actors often have considerable commercial influence.
Actors Questioning Casting Choices Has Become a Concern
Johar also spoke about what he described as the growing culture of 'casting diktats' in Bollywood.
He recalled instances where actors questioned the casting decisions of filmmakers, asking why a particular performer had been selected for a supporting role instead of someone else.
Johar believes that once an actor agrees to become part of a film, the responsibility for selecting the remaining cast members should largely remain with the filmmaker and casting team.
He questioned whether lead actors should be making decisions that fall within the responsibilities of casting directors.
According to him, actors should focus on their own characters and performances rather than attempting to control every creative decision associated with a project.
However, Johar also acknowledged that the experience and knowledge of senior actors can be valuable. He specifically mentioned Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, saying that he would respect their opinions because of their extensive experience and understanding of cinema.
He clarified that listening to experienced performers is different from allowing every actor to dictate decisions outside their area of responsibility.
Karan Johar Is Concerned About the Obsession With Alpha Characters
Another issue highlighted by Johar was Bollywood's increasing preference for characters perceived as strong, aggressive or dominant.
He revealed that he had encountered situations where lead actors interrupted film narrations because they felt their characters were not 'alpha enough' or sufficiently 'front-footed'.
Johar believes that this mindset can restrict the range of characters filmmakers are able to create.
To explain his point, he referred to Saiyaara, which became a commercial success with a story centred on an empathetic and emotionally expressive romantic character.
According to Karan Johar, the film demonstrated that audiences can connect with characters who do not necessarily fit the conventional image of an aggressive or dominant hero.
His observation comes amid ongoing discussions about the popularity of action-heavy and male-centric films in Hindi cinema. While such films have found commercial success, Johar believes that every filmmaker should not automatically attempt to reproduce the same formula.
For him, emotional depth and character development remain equally important elements of storytelling.
Filmmakers Have Also Created This Problem, Says Johar
Johar did not place the entire responsibility for the situation on actors. He also acknowledged that filmmakers and producers have played a significant role in allowing this culture to develop.
He admitted that many filmmakers have become complicit in creating what he described as a 'monstrosity' by repeatedly agreeing to demands rather than standing by their creative decisions.
According to him, filmmakers sometimes choose to say yes because dealing with disagreements and managing the pressure can become exhausting.
Over time, this approach has encouraged a working environment in which actors expect to have a say in almost every aspect of filmmaking.
His admission is significant because it recognises that the industry's power dynamics are not shaped by actors alone. Producers and directors also influence the culture through the decisions they make during negotiations and production.
Dhurandhar's Success and Bollywood's Copycat Culture
During the conversation, Johar also discussed Bollywood's tendency to imitate films that achieve major commercial success.
He referred to Dhurandhar, praising its distinctive background score and overall filmmaking approach. However, he expressed concern that its success could encourage other filmmakers to reproduce similar elements.
Karan Johar argued that every successful film should not become a template for the entire industry.
He believes that when one particular genre or storytelling style works, too many filmmakers immediately attempt to follow it. This creates a herd mentality in which original ideas and individual creative instincts can take a back seat.
The filmmaker said he wants the industry to return to a time when people signed films simply because they genuinely liked the story and believed in the project.
'We Are Storytellers': Karan Johar Wants Bollywood to Trust Its Instincts
Towards the end of the conversation, Johar emphasised that filmmaking should not become an exercise driven entirely by calculations and commercial predictions.
He said that if success could be determined through mathematics, people would become chartered accountants rather than filmmakers. According to him, the industry must remember that its fundamental purpose is storytelling.
His comments highlight an important challenge facing Hindi cinema: balancing commercial expectations with creative freedom.
While box-office performance, marketing strategies and audience preferences are important to the business, Johar believes that excessive dependence on formulas can damage the originality of films.
For a filmmaker who has spent nearly three decades working in the industry, his remarks offer a glimpse into the changing relationship between stars, directors and producers.
His central argument is that actors should concentrate on acting, filmmakers should take responsibility for creative decisions, and the industry should give storytelling more importance than calculations about what might work at the box office.
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