Karan Johar Says Bollywood Has A 'Director Crisis'

In recent years, many Bollywood directors have ventured into the world of big-budget action films. The success of large-scale event films in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada cinema has inspired the Hindi film industry to return to the genre after years of focusing on comedies and romances. Yet, not all of these films have found success. Filmmaker Karan Johar recently shared that one of the main reasons Bollywood is struggling with action movies is because it is going through a “director crisis”.

While speaking with Suchin Mehrotra on The Streaming Show Podcast, Karan was asked whether Bollywood is facing a ‘director crisis’ in handling big-budget movies. He described it as a director crisis, pointing out that it was hard to think of more than a name or two. Karan Johar explained that there wasn’t really anyone, since that entire generation had grown up watching and being shaped by a very different kind of Hindi cinema. Karan added that while the generation embraced globalisation, the Shah Rukh Khan phenomenon, and stories filmed abroad, they were never able to create that bold, high-energy form of cinema. He noted that since they had never truly known it, they couldn’t learn it now, and whenever they attempted to replicate it, the result lacked authenticity. Karan stated that Bollywood lacks directors who can create films on the scale and in the style of those produced in the South.

Karan has openly praised southern filmmakers like SS Rajamouli and Prasanth Neel, who are known for delivering massive event films. In the interview, he remarked that Bollywood directors should return to their strength in making romantic dramas and pointed to Saiyaara as an example.

Karan Johar has also revealed that he plans to return as a director in 2026, promising to bring back the classic, emotionally compelling Hindi films that have long been his signature. In an Instagram post, Karan also mentioned that he is done with running away from his roots just to please a number of people he doesn’t even know. Karan's most recent film as a director was the romantic drama Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The movie featured Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in lead roles and went on to earn more than ₹300 crore following its 2023 release.