Filmmaker Karan Johar has taken another swipe at Bollywood’s changing professional culture, this time questioning actors who increasingly want to become box-office experts, trade analysts, publicity strategists and even trailer editors instead of concentrating on their primary responsibility of acting.
In a recent conversation with journalist Anupama Chopra for The Hollywood Reporter India, Karan expressed concern over what he described as a growing herd mentality in the film industry. He said that actors were becoming increasingly involved in decisions that traditionally belonged to filmmakers, producers, casting directors and marketing teams.
Karan’s sharpest observation came when he questioned why actors wanted to control almost every aspect of a film except their own performances.
“I’m flummoxed with people’s insecurities. Maybe it’s vulnerabilities, but I’m reading them as insecurities. I’m surprised and shocked that they want to do everything but act. They want to become box-office gurus, trade analysts, perception setters, campaign makers, trailer cutters and poster makers. When are you acting exactly?” he questioned.
The filmmaker also revealed that some actors had begun interrupting narration sessions to question whether their characters were sufficiently aggressive or dominant.
According to him, there is an increasing obsession with the so-called alpha male image, with performers sometimes rejecting characters because they are not sufficiently aggressive or front-footed.
Karan cited Shah Rukh Khan’s character Raj from ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ as an example of how a successful leading man need not necessarily be aggressive or physically dominant. Raj was a relatively gentle romantic hero who eventually won over Simran’s father through patience and respect rather than confrontation.
He also pointed towards the success of films such as ‘Saiyaara’, which featured a more sensitive and empathetic romantic hero, arguing that audiences continue to embrace different kinds of protagonists.
Karan questioned why actors were increasingly attempting to replicate whatever character type had recently succeeded at the box office instead of trusting the originality of their scripts and performances.
His criticism extended to actors questioning filmmakers about the amount being spent on visual effects, whether a project was sufficiently rooted in Indian culture and folklore, and even the casting of other actors.
He argued that once an actor had agreed to become part of a film, the responsibility for choosing the remaining cast should rest with the filmmaker and casting team.
Interestingly, Karan did not place the entire blame on actors. He admitted that filmmakers and producers had also contributed to the situation by repeatedly agreeing to actors’ demands rather than standing their ground.
He described the filmmaking fraternity as being “deeply complicit in the creation of this monstrosity”, suggesting that producers often give in to demands simply to avoid uncomfortable confrontations.
However, he made an exception for experienced performers such as Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, whose knowledge of cinema and years of experience give their opinions considerable value.
### **Another swipe after his criticism of Bollywood PR**
Karan’s latest comments come months after he sparked a separate debate by criticising the growing dependence on paid public relations and publicity campaigns in Bollywood.
In April 2026, the filmmaker said that the industry should reduce excessive PR and allow actors’ achievements and films to speak for themselves. He argued that the increasing availability of paid publicity had made it difficult to distinguish genuine audience appreciation from manufactured online reactions.
He had particularly questioned the practice of paying to create favourable perceptions about an actor’s appearance, performances and popularity.
While Karan clarified that he was not targeting any particular actor, his remarks attracted attention because public relations and image management have become important components of celebrity careers.
His latest comments, however, address a different aspect of the same wider discussion about Bollywood’s growing emphasis on perception and commercial positioning.
The two sets of remarks also highlight a recurring concern about the industry’s increasing preoccupation with everything surrounding a film, from its publicity strategy and box-office predictions to the perceived commercial value of its lead characters.
Karan’s central argument is that filmmaking is ultimately a creative exercise and that actors should not become so preoccupied with controlling its commercial and promotional aspects that they lose sight of their actual craft.
His observations are likely to generate further debate within Bollywood, particularly at a time when actors are increasingly involved in their films’ marketing, publicity, casting discussions and business strategies.