Karan Johar says Bollywood is battling a 'director crisis'
What's the story
Filmmaker Karan Johar recently spoke about the lack of success of big-budget action films in Bollywood. He believes that the current directors lack the expertise to create such films, which has led to a "director crisis." In a recent interview with Suchin Mehrotra on The Streaming Show podcast, he said that most successful mass action films are directed by filmmakers from South India.
Director crisis
'It is a director crisis'
Johar said, "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." He added that these directors, influenced by global cinema, have struggled with the transition to creating successful action films.
Emulation
They have never known it: Johar on why directors fail
Johar further explained that these directors have never been exposed to the kind of action cinema that is now being attempted in Bollywood. He said, "Globalization, 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."
Praise
Praise for South Indian filmmakers
Johar also praised South Indian filmmakers like SS Rajamouli, Sandeep Reddy Vanga, and Prashanth Neel for their ability to create successful action films. He said that Bollywood directors should stick to what they know best and cited Mohit Suri's Saiyaara as an example of a film that succeeded as a love story. "Thank God for Saiyaara," he said. The film has emerged as the highest-grossing love story in Indian cinema, grossing over ₹500 crore worldwide, per Hindustan Times.
Personal experience
Johar's last directorial venture was 'Rocky Aur Rani...'
Johar has not directed a mass action film yet. His last directorial venture was the romantic drama Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, which starred Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. The film was a commercial success, grossing over ₹300 crore upon its release in 2023. It also won a National Film Award recently.