Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar has spoken out against the industry's growing obsession with hyper-masculine storytelling, describing it as a phase dominated by 'big alpha' energy and testosterone-heavy narratives.
According to Johar, mainstream Hindi cinema is increasingly leaning towards exaggerated displays of masculinity, often at the cost of nuance and diversity in storytelling.
He pointed out that theatrical releases today are largely driven by high-octane, male-centric narratives, where aggression and machismo take centre stage.
Johar, however, noted that there is still room for variety on OTT platforms, where scripts are more layered.
He slammed Bollywood's 'herd mentality', saying that if one film works in a certain zone, there will be 10 more, all featuring high-octane testosterone movies with men walking in slow motion, sporting beards and smoking.
Johar recalled the backlash he faced while portraying a different kind of masculinity in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, and reaffirmed his commitment to telling feminist stories.
The current wave of hyper-masculinity in Indian cinema is often traced back to the success of Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor.
Johar is gearing up for the release of his upcoming production Chaand Mera Dil, as well as another intriguing project titled Nagzilla, directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba and starring Kartik Aaryan.
Fans of the filmmaker also have more to look forward to, as Karan confirmed the return of his popular talk show Koffee With Karan, set to premiere this Diwali.
