Karan Johar has spoken about Bollywood’s growing obsession with hyper-masculine narratives, describing what he described as an industry currently dominated by “big alpha” energy and testosterone-driven narratives.“If one movie is successful, there will be 10 more.”In a recent interview with The Week, the director spoke candidly about the industry’s tendency to follow trends, highlighting what he called a “herd mentality.”“If one movie succeeds in a certain area, there will be 10 more. So you’ll see 10 more high-octane movies about testosterone where guys are walking in slow motion for no reason and going nowhere in particular, but they’ll walk that way.
They will all have beards and they will all smoke. Apparently, that’s what women like to watch, or at least that’s what men think.Karan added that while theatrical releases are currently dominated by such high-energy, male-centric narratives, OTT platforms continue to offer more nuanced and layered storytelling.“How can you photograph a man like that?”The director also noted the backlash he faced for presenting a different kind of masculinity in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
Speaking about criticism over a scene featuring a male character performing a classical dance, he said: “I had a whole barrage of mainstream audiences asking, ‘How can you portray a man like that?’ And I’m like, if I’m going to focus my attention on a particular audience and have no conviction, why am I here? I’m a natural feminist and I’m always going to tell a feminist story.”
“The current wave of hyper-masculinity in Indian cinema is often associated with the success of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s films like Kabir Singh starring Shahid Kapoor and Animal starring
Ranbir Kapoor
followed by the massive success of
Aditya Dhar
The Dhurandhar franchise, starring Ranveer Singh, leans toward a similar aesthetic — sleek male leads, rough looks, smoking habits, and heightened violence.
Interestingly, Karan has praised these films in his reviews for their performances.What’s next for Karan Johar?On the work front, Karan is gearing up for the release of his next production Chaand Mera Dil. The romantic drama is directed by Vivek Soni and backed by Dharma Productions, and stars Ananya Panday and Lakshay in the lead roles. The film is scheduled to hit theaters on May 22 after being postponed from its previous release in December 2025.He also has another project in the pipeline, Nagzilla, directed by Mrigdeep Singh Lamba and starring Kartik Aaryan. While the film is expected to be released later this year, the final date has not yet been announced.Additionally, fans can look forward to the return of his popular talk show Koffee With Karan, with its ninth season premiering on Diwali.