Karan Johar says Bollywood has a 'director crisis' for mass action films: 'They emulate south, fall flat on their face'

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

The mass action genre has invaded Bollywood again over the last few years. After years of making comedies and romances, Hindi cinema went back to large-scale event films with the success of similar films in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada cinema. However, the results have been mixed. Filmmaker Karan Johar believes it is because the current crop of directors in the industry simply do not have the skills to mount such films. Karan Johar opens up on event films in Hindi cinema.
Karan Johar on event films in Hindi cinema
In a conversation with Suchin Mehrotra on The Streaming Show podcast, Karan was asked if Bollywood has a 'director crisis' when it comes to big-scale event films, as most such films are made by directors from the south. Karan responded, "It is a director crisis. You can't think of more than a name or two. There isn't anyone, because that entire generation spent their time watching a different kind of Hindi cinema, nurtured on a different kind of cinema. Globalisation, the Shah Rukh Khan phenomenon, stories shot outside the country, they love all that, but haven't been able to do that front-footed testosterone cinema. They have never known it. Now, they can't learn it. So, they emulate it and fall flat on their face."
'Thank God for Saiyaara'
Karan has been vocal in his praise for filmmakers from the south, such as SS Rajamouli, Sandeep Reddy Vanga, and Prasanth Neel, who are known to mount these event films. In the interview, he said that Bollywood directors need to go back to what they know best, and cited Saiyaara as an example. "So, probably, we don't have the directors to mount those kinds of films. So, if we can't, then thank God for Saiyaara. This, we can do. When I met Mohit Suri, he told me that all the filmmakers from the south called him, and it was so gratifying to know, because we are the ones calling them. We are always picking up the phone, telling them how incredible their films are. We do one thing well, so let's do that. Let's go back to our storytelling," Karan added.
Saiyaara, directed by Mohit Suri, starred newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda in the lead. It has become the highest-grossing love story in Indian cinema, grossing over ₹500 crore worldwide.
Karan Johar's recent work
Karan's last directorial was a romantic drama, as well. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, grossed over ₹300 crore upon its release in 2023. It recently won a National Film Award, too.