Filmmaker Karan Johar has expressed concern over what he sees as an increasing herd mentality in Bollywood, particularly among actors who appear to be gravitating towards aggressive, alpha male characters. He has also questioned the growing tendency among leading stars to interfere in creative and production-related decisions, from casting and VFX budgets to promotional strategies. In a conversation with Anupama Chopra for The Hollywood Reporter India, Karan opened up about his experiences with actors and why he believes the industry is moving away from creative conviction.Speaking about the pressure to conform to what is perceived as commercially successful, Karan revealed that he has witnessed actors questioning their characters during narration sessions simply because they do not appear dominant or aggressive enough.“I’m concerned with the herd mentality. I’m very concerned with confused artists and filmmakers who don’t follow their instincts like they used to, or perhaps want to, because they are conforming to what they believe is box-office friendly. I’ve heard lead actors stop narrations and say, ‘This character is not alpha enough,’ or ‘This character is not front-footed enough’,” he said.To explain why he disagrees with this approach, Karan brought up Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic character Raj from ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (DDLJ). He pointed out that Raj was not the conventional aggressive hero. Instead of confronting Simran’s father, he chose to win his approval and seek his blessings before marrying her. According to Karan, the character’s gentleness and restraint were central to his appeal, proving that a romantic hero does not necessarily have to be an alpha male.He also referred to the success of ‘Saiyaara’, which featured a sensitive and empathetic male protagonist, despite the popularity of films such as ‘Kabir Singh’, ‘Animal’ and ‘Dhurandhar’, all of which have portrayed more aggressive male characters. Karan questioned why actors continue to gravitate towards a particular screen image when audiences have repeatedly shown an appetite for different kinds of heroes.The filmmaker further spoke about some of the questions he has encountered while narrating projects to actors. He revealed that discussions sometimes move away from the script to whether a film is sufficiently rooted in Indian culture, whether it incorporates folklore and how much money is being allocated to visual effects.“I’ve had actors ask me if the film has anything deeply rooted. What does that mean? Rooted in what? I hope it’s rooted in a great script. I hope it’s rooted in great content. We are making a Hindi-language film or an Indian film which is rooted in the language and the syntax of our cinema. Isn’t that enough? I’m being asked, ‘What is your VFX budget?’ How is that your problem? Will I make a tacky-looking film because I want to make money off a bad film? No, I’ll obviously do my best,” he said.Karan also expressed displeasure over actors questioning his casting decisions. He believes that once an actor has agreed to come on board, the responsibility of choosing the remaining cast should rest with the filmmaker and the casting team. He suggested that the increasing involvement of actors in areas beyond their performances has become a cause for concern.Taking a dig at the trend, Karan said that actors today want to have a say in almost everything, including box-office predictions, trade analysis, publicity strategies, trailer edits and poster designs.“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.Interestingly, Karan did not place the entire blame on actors. He acknowledged that filmmakers and producers have also contributed to this situation by repeatedly giving in to demands instead of drawing boundaries. Admitting that the industry has enabled this behaviour, he said they have been “deeply complicit in the creation of this monstrosity”. He added that saying no to actors can often lead to uncomfortable situations, which is why many filmmakers choose to accommodate their requests.However, Karan clarified that he respects the opinions of senior actors such as Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. He believes their years of experience, understanding of cinema and knowledge of the industry give their inputs considerable value. At the same time, he expects actors to recognise the filmmaker’s role and responsibilities, particularly when they are the ones creating and financing a project.This is not the first time Karan has raised concerns about Bollywood’s tendency to replicate successful films and follow prevailing box-office trends instead of trusting individual creative instincts.At The Week Salon in April 2026, the filmmaker had spoken about how one successful film often triggers a wave of similar projects. “If one film works in a certain zone, there will be ten more,” he had remarked.Earlier, in a June 2025 conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Karan had also highlighted the industry’s dependence on established formulas, referring to the success of films such as ‘Pushpa’, ‘Chhaava’ and ‘Stree’. Emphasising the need for originality, he had said, “We all need to have individual thoughts that are unique to ourselves.”In a July 2024 interview with Faye D’Souza, Karan had similarly questioned the industry’s tendency to chase box-office successes rather than develop its own creative identity. Citing the success of ‘Jawan’ and ‘Pathaan’ and the subsequent rush towards action films, he had said, “If Jawan and Pathaan worked, should we do only action? Then everybody’s running that way. Then suddenly a love story would work. I feel like we are running around like headless chickens. Conviction has taken a complete beating, and it’s all about herd mentality,” he said.