Karan Johar slams podcasters, but who decides who belongs where in Bollywood?

Dubai: Karan Johar has fired shots at podcasters for giving space to voices that, according to him, disrespect “hardworking” members of the Hindi-language film fraternity.

In a long note on Instagram, the filmmaker declared that clickbait culture needs to end, singling out chat shows that thrive on inviting “guests who have nothing to lose” and who “spew venom” about Bollywood insiders.

But here’s the uncomfortable question — who gets to decide who is a “non-entity” in Bollywood, and who gets to sit at the high table?

Isn’t it ironic that the loudest flagbearer of nepotism (Kara is a superb sport about the label) is also the one drawing these boundaries? Dismissing outsiders or critics as irrelevant only reinforces the very hierarchies that keep the industry exclusionary.

Johar also lashed out at psychics and astrologers making grim predictions about stars’ lives and deaths, calling the practice “insensitive and disgusting.” Free speech, he argued, should not be weaponised for “clickbait.”

The statement comes at a curious time — fresh off the trailer release of 'Param Sundari' -- which was widely criticised for watering down the nuance of its South Indian roots. Many felt the Janhvi Kapoor's character was reduced to broad caricatures rather than a layered representation of South Indians and identity. That’s the irony — on one hand, Bollywood power brokers talk about respect for “legendary” members of the fraternity, while on the other, they fail to extend the same respect to stories, voices, and cultures they appropriate.

And this is the elephant in the room: why doesn’t Karan address the deep-rooted issue of Bollywood’s lazy, often offensive cultural portrayals?

Take the recent trailer of Param Sundari, where Janhvi Kapoor’s half-baked Malayali accent and caricatured mannerisms once again reduce an entire community to parody. Bollywood has long gotten Malayalis, Tamilians, and other regional identities wrong — stripping them of nuance and authenticity.

If Johar is truly concerned about “respect,” shouldn’t he also be calling out this serial stereotyping within his own industry? Selective outrage over podcasters, while sidestepping the industry’s own blind spots, feels less like integrity and more like damage control.

Johar may have avoided naming names in his rant, but his swipe speaks volumes about the discomfort Bollywood’s gatekeepers feel when faced with dissenting or unfiltered voices — especially those beyond their carefully curated circle.