It’s no news that South movies like Pushpa, RRR, and KGF: Chapter 2 have been bigger hits than any recent Bollywood movie. And according to Karan Johar, it is because Bollywood filmmakers are not given the same leeway as their counterparts in the South.
When I read the reviews of KGF, I’m like if we made this, we would be lynched. But here, everybody is like ‘Oh it was a celebration, a party’ and it was. I loved it. I loved it with all my heart. But I feel hum yeh banaate to? (If we had made this, then?)
-Karan Johar
While talking to Film Companion, Karan Johar said that Bollywood filmmakers are not given as much freedom as South filmmakers by critics. He also added that if a movie like KGF was made in Bollywood, it would have been lynched by critics.
It’s working both ways. I feel we are also not given any kind of leeway and then we are trying to be somebody else. So, we are all over the place. We are living a dual existence and we have to stop.
-Karan Johar
The netizens were not so happy with Johar’s remark, called him salty and asked him to start making better films in Bollywood.
Some people also came in support of KJo for their love of Bollywood.
But the truth remains, Bollywood needs to up its game and start making movies which are not just reimaginations of their old formulae.