Karan Johar calls out testosterone-heavy films and Bollywood’s alpha obsession
Karan Johar criticized Hindi cinema’s current trend of hyper-masculine, testosterone-heavy storytelling. He said this trend reflected the herd mentality of Bollywood and recalled the reaction to a scene in Rocky and Rani’s love story.
Producer Karan Johar has talked about the growing attraction towards hyper-masculine storytelling in Hindi cinema, saying that the industry is currently in a phase dominated by “big alpha” energy and testosterone-heavy narratives. He said that mainstream theatrical releases are increasingly focused on exaggerated displays of masculinity, often at the expense of nuance and diversity in storytelling.
Karan, in an interview with Weeksaid that high-octane, male-centric films were driving the theatrical space, where aggression and masculinity took center stage, while OTT platforms were still giving room for more layered scripts. He also reflected on the criticism he faced for portraying a different kind of masculinity Rocky and Rani’s love story, A 2023 film starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt which he directed.
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Criticizing what he called “herd mentality”, Karan highlighted that when a genre is successful, the industry produces many imitators. He noted that this has led to a rise in hyper-masculine films featuring bearded, smoking heroes walking in slow motion with no real narrative purpose.
The producer said, “If one movie works in a certain area, there will be 10 more movies. So you’ll see 10 more high-octane testosterone movies where men are walking in slow motion for no reason and going nowhere in particular, but they’ll be walking the same way.”
She emphasized that while these things are often justified by what women want to see, it is more likely a reflection of what male filmmakers think audiences like. “They’ll all have beards and they’ll all smoke. Obviously, that’s what women like to see, or at least that’s what men think,” Karan said.
The producer also reflected on the criticism directed at one scene Rocky and Rani’s love story In which a male character is depicted performing a classical dance. He shared that many mainstream audiences questioned his decision to portray a man in this manner, but he stuck to his creative choice. Emphasizing his long-standing commitment to feminism, Karan explained that he would prefer to maintain his artistic convictions and tell inclusive stories rather than address audiences that expect traditional mores.
Recently, Indian cinema has produced films headlined by alpha male characters – stalwart (2025), Pushpa 2 (2024), Animal (2023) young (2022) and Pathan (2022) – all popular and successful. On the work front, Karan is currently prepping for the theatrical release of moon my heartA romantic drama produced under his Dharma Productions banner.
The film, starring Ananya Panday and Lakshya in lead roles, is directed by Vivek Soni. Originally scheduled for December 2025 arrival, moon my heart Now set to release in theaters on May 22, 2026.
Karan is also supporting NagzillaA project directed by Mrigdeep Singh Lamba, starring Kartik Aryan. The film is expected to arrive later this year, although an official release date is yet to be confirmed.