Karan Johar has once again sparked a discussion, this time about how Bollywood depends heavily on public relations and image-building. During a recent interaction with The Week, the filmmaker spoke openly about how actors today are focusing more on creating a public image rather than improving their actual skills.
Talking about the issue, Karan said, “I think Bollywood should stop doing PR. It will be much better. They should let their achievement speak for itself because unfortunately all of the PR is now paid PR. If you want to say ‘You are looking gorgeous’, you just have to pay. If you want to say that you are the best actor on planet Earth, you have to pay.”
His comments came after a question mentioning actors like Janhvi Kapoor and Shanaya Kapoor. However, Karan made it clear that he was not targeting anyone specifically but was speaking about a wider trend in the industry.
He explained further, “So I think we are on over drive mode when it comes to PR. So whether they are doing method marketing or not is secondary. They should stop marketing themselves and let their work speak for themselves. I don’t mean the people you are talking about I mean everyone in general. Because I think PR’s becoming into overdrive mode. There’s a certain way of doing it. Publicity, marketing- these are very important work categories and this should be treated in that specific way.”
Karan also pointed out that paid promotions have made it hard to tell what audiences genuinely like. He said, “Now everything is available at a price and that is something that could be deeply upsetting because then you really can’t gauge what’s connecting and what’s now. Are people liking it or are paid to like it? I don’t know, I can’t tell half the time. Its confusing me because even I am sometimes paying for it.”
His statements have led to mixed reactions online, especially since he himself has been a key figure in Bollywood’s promotion system.
On the work front, Karan shared that the ninth season of Koffee With Karan is expected to release around Diwali 2026.