In a candid townhall interaction with youth media platform Yuvaa while promoting her upcoming investigative crime drama Daayra, the veteran star called out the reactionary formula-chasing that dominates the Hindi film trade. Pointing specifically to cousin Ranbir Kapoor and director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s 2023 blockbuster Animal, she highlighted how filmmakers instantly pivot to graphic violence the moment a single film succeeds.
What Kareena Kapoor Said: "We Are Herd Mentality, What to Say?"
Addressing how industry executives and creators underestimate viewers, Kareena emphasized that audience discernment has fundamentally evolved:
“Our audience is smarter than we think. They know exactly when it’s a good film and they want to watch it. So today it is not just about a young love story. All these things are very dated, ki abhi violence chal rahi hai… ki abhi Animal chal gayi toh chalo sab violence kar lete hai. We are herd mentality, what to say?”
“Then there are filmmakers who want to make something different, who provoke your thoughts and who have their own fan following. I feel like things are changing now. The audience will now watch the trailer and say that we want to watch this film.”
She further noted that old genre formulas no longer guarantee safety nets at the ticket window: “The young audience will ask thought-provoking questions. Now filmmakers cannot go and make a film saying it’s a comedy so people will definitely watch it! Not every film is going to make ₹200 crore or ₹500 crore. I feel like we are changing it, and the audience is helping us.”
The 'Animal' Paradigm in Hindi Cinema
When Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal breached ₹900 Crore worldwide in late 2023, it triggered a massive thematic pivot across Mumbai and southern production houses:
The Copycat Wave: Production slates through 2024–2026 saw a surge of greenlit "A"-rated action scripts, high-decibel revenge plots, and visceral bloodletting—often divorced from the character depth or cinematic craft that made the original work commercially.
Kareena's Nuanced Stance: While Kareena has consistently defended Ranbir’s acting craft and conviction in portraying complex antiheroes, her critique targets the boardroom logic that confuses an individual creator's distinct vision with an easily reproducible blueprint.
Walking the Talk: 'Daayra' Releasing September 18
Kareena’s observations directly mirror her own recent creative trajectory. Rather than leaning into cookie-cutter spectacles, she has actively gravitated toward grounded, layered character pieces (Jaane Jaan, The Buckingham Murders, Crew).
In Daayra, Kareena and Prithviraj play opposing investigating officers unraveling the fallout of a national crime, framed around complex ethical questions rather than sensationalized spectacle.
Trade Verdict:
Kareena Kapoor’s critique pinpoints the single greatest vulnerability of mainstream Bollywood: confusing fleeting box-office trends with sustainable storytelling. As audiences become increasingly selective with their theatrical footfalls, her call to ditch the "herd mentality" arrives at a time when formula-driven projects are facing stiff resistance at the turnstiles.
