Karan Johar Critiques Bollywood’s Creative Copy-Paste Culture

At a recent industry interaction, Karan Johar didn’t hold back when asked about the current state of Bollywood storytelling. With a sharp tone, he called out the herd mentality in the industry, accusing filmmakers of blindly replicating success formulas rather than innovating. According to Karan, many directors are stuck in a loop, recycling themes and genres the moment one film hits the jackpot.

Karan didn’t mince words when he said, “Everyone’s behaving like Govinda in a crowd, trying to do the same thing at the same time.” Using the success of films like Chhava, Stree, and Pushpa as examples, he explained how their originality was the real reason they worked, not the genre or setting. Unfortunately, that originality often leads to a wave of copycat content, he warned.

On being asked about the trend of creating interconnected cinematic universes, Karan gave a tongue-in-cheek reply. “Someone asked if I’m building a spy or police universe. I told them I’m not in the business of building universes, cinema itself is my universe.” He reiterated that his primary goal remains telling distinct, memorable stories that don’t blend into the noise.

Rather than playing it safe, Karan believes filmmakers must embrace unpredictability and break free from formulas. In an era when box office success tempts many to replicate rather than reimagine, his words serve as both critique and challenge, urging Bollywood to rewrite its own rules before the audience tunes out.