Kareena Kapoor calls out Bollywood's 'herd mentality', cites Ranbir Kapoor's Animal

Actor Kareena Kapoor has called out the “herd mentality” in the Hindi film industry, saying filmmakers often rush to replicate the success of a particular trend instead of bringing something new to the audience. The actor, who is gearing up for the release of the investigative drama Daayra, pointed to Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal as an example, saying the film’s success led to a rush towards making more violent films.During a candid town hall interaction with Yuvaa, the 45-year-old actor said audiences today are far more discerning than the industry gives them credit for. According to her, viewers are no longer willing to watch a film simply because it belongs to a particular genre or follows a trend.“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 hain. (Violence is trending right now. Animal worked, so let’s all start making violent films.) 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 said.Kareena went on to stress that there are filmmakers who continue to experiment and make films that challenge audiences. “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 added. The actor also pointed out that the changing audience has made it harder for filmmakers to rely on a particular formula or genre to guarantee success. She said younger viewers, in particular, are more willing to question what they watch and demand something beyond conventional storytelling.“The young audience will ask the 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 Rs 200 crore or Rs 500 crore. I feel like we are changing it and the audience is helping us,” Kareena said. Released in 2023, Animal was a hyper-violent action drama directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. Starring Ranbir Kapoor and Anil Kapoor, the film explored a complicated father-son relationship, with Ranbir playing Ranvijay Vijay Singh, a man shaped by childhood trauma and his emotionally distant relationship with his father.Animal went on to become a major box-office success, earning over 900 crore worldwide. Its sequel, Animal Park, is currently in development.Meanwhile, Kareena is gearing up for Daayra, an investigative drama that adds another genre to her diverse filmography. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, the film also stars Prithviraj Sukumaran in key roles. It will release in theatres on September 18.- EndsPublished By: Prachi aryaPublished On: Sep 10, 2026 08:39 IST