Karan Johar calls “pure horror” Hindi cinema’s biggest miss; breaks down why rom-com, emotional dramas aren’t working in theatres: “What people want is high concept”
In a recent episode of Founders Office with Sarthak Ahuja, Karan Johar offered a candid assessment of what is — and isn’t — working in Hindi cinema today. Before addressing what draws audiences to theatres, Johar was clear about what does not. Emotional dramas, high-profile biopics, romcoms and easy, “snackable” films, he said, are finding their audience largely on streaming platforms. The theatrical audience now expects something more immersive — something they cannot replicate at home.
“What people want is high concept,” Johar explained, referring to stories rooted in unusual worlds, mythic spaces or genre-driven experiences. According to him, the theatrical draw lies in films that offer scale and communal engagement.
He pointed to horror-comedy as an example of a genre that benefits from collective viewing. Fear and laughter, he noted, are amplified in a cinema hall. “You’re getting scared together and laughing together,” he said, calling it a community experience that streaming cannot recreate.
Yet, Johar believes there remains a significant gap. Despite the commercial success of hybrid horror formats, Hindi cinema has not yet delivered a truly breakthrough pure horror film. “We haven’t got our The Nun. We haven’t got our The Conjuring,” he said. For Johar, the issue lies in execution. Jump scares alone are not enough. What’s needed, he argued, is atmospheric horror — films that create sustained dread rather than rely on gimmicks.
He also observed a shift in audience dynamics. While multiplex-driven urban films once dominated theatrical programming, there is now renewed attention toward Tier 2 cities and single-screen audiences. High-concept genre films and certain mass entertainers have been able to tap into this demand.
In Johar’s view, theatrical success today hinges on offering something expansive and experiential. Streaming may have absorbed emotional and conversational storytelling, but cinema halls require scale, novelty and collective energy. And if one genre could truly break through next, he believes it is horror — provided filmmakers get it right.
The post Karan Johar calls “pure horror” Hindi cinema’s biggest miss; breaks down why rom-com, emotional dramas aren’t working in theatres: “What people want is high concept” appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
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