Not Every Film Can Be Saiyaara or Mahavatar Narsimha: Karan Johar Defends Bollywood

Filmmaker Karan Johar recently spoke about the challenges facing the Hindi film industry during the press meet for the film Mirai, starring Tejja Sajja. He emphasized that there’s no guaranteed formula for box office success — ultimately, it’s the audience who decides how a film fares.

Karan also praised the film Saiyaara, featuring newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, for standing out in a crowded market.

When asked about what might be going wrong in the industry, Karan dismissed the idea that there’s a big problem. He said, “There’s no such thing. Every film has its own journey. Sometimes even films with big stars don’t work, so it’s not as simple as that.”

He highlighted that actors today are more involved and aware of the creative process than ever before. “Actors now understand that they need to contribute to the film’s vision. Everyone is adapting to the times.”

Karan cautioned against following a one-size-fits-all approach to casting or genres. “You can’t just put everything in a box. Even with young actors and a big vision, sometimes films don’t work. Nothing is guaranteed.”

He also talked about how film trends keep evolving and success can’t be copied just by following popular formats. “There are different eras and styles. Many musical films with newcomers will release, but not all will be hits like Saiyaara. Animation films will come, but they won’t all become Mahavatar Narsimh.”

Karan stressed that the audience holds the ultimate power. “There are no fixed rules at the box office. You have to tell unique stories, and then it’s up to the audience to decide what they love, support, and respect. The audience is the real judge.”