Karan Johar takes a dig at Bollywood’s ‘alpha male’ hyper-masculinity phase: 'They’ll all have beards and they will all smoke'

Karan Johar has weighed in on Bollywood’s growing obsession with hyper-masculine storytelling, calling out what he describes as an industry currently dominated by “big alpha” energy and testosterone-driven narratives.‘If one film works, there will be 10 more’In a recent interview with The Week, the filmmaker spoke candidly about the industry’s tendency to follow trends, highlighting what he called a “herd mentality.”“If one film works in a certain zone, there will be 10 more. So you will see 10 more high-octane testosterone movies where men are just walking in slow motion for no reason and going nowhere in particular, but they will be walking in that way. They’ll all have beards and they will all smoke. Apparently, that’s what women like to watch, or at least, that’s what the men think,” he said.Karan added that while theatrical releases are currently dominated by such high-energy, male-centric narratives, OTT platforms continue to offer more layered and nuanced storytelling.‘How could you depict a man like that?’The filmmaker also recalled the backlash he faced for presenting a different kind of masculinity in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. Speaking about the criticism around a scene featuring a male character performing classical dance, he said, “I had a whole barrage of mainstream audiences who asked, ‘How could you depict a man like that?’ And I’m like, if I am going to focus my attention on a certain audience and not have conviction, then why am I here? I am a born feminist and will always tell a feminist story.”The current wave of hyper-masculinity in Hindi cinema is often linked to the success of Sandeep Reddy Vanga's films like Kabir Singh, starring Shahid Kapoor and Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, followed by the massive success of Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar franchise, starring Ranveer Singh, leaning into similar aesthetics—brooding male leads, rugged looks, smoking habits, and heightened violence. Interestingly, Karan has praised these films in his reviews for their performances.What’s next for Karan JoharOn the work front, Karan is gearing up for the release of his upcoming production Chaand Mera Dil. Directed by Vivek Soni and backed by Dharma Productions, the romantic drama stars Ananya Panday and Lakshay in lead roles. The film is set to hit theatres on May 22 after being postponed from its earlier December 2025 release.He also has another project in the pipeline, Nagzilla, directed by Mrighdeep Singh Lamba and starring Kartik Aaryan. While the film is expected to release later this year, the final date is yet to be announced.Additionally, fans can look forward to the return of his popular talk show Koffee With Karan, with its ninth season set to premiere this Diwali.