When Karan Johar declared that “Bollywood should stop doing PR”, it was one of those rare moments when an insider challenged one of the industry’s most established practices. Speaking at an event organised by The Week, Johar argued that excessive paid publicity had made it increasingly difficult to distinguish genuine audience appreciation from manufactured perception. His broader point was that achievements should speak for themselves.
Two months later, there is little evidence that Bollywood has taken his advice. If anything, publicity activity appears as relentless as ever. Film announcements continue to arrive in carefully timed waves. Behind-the-scenes photographs surface with remarkable regularity. Promotional interviews remain tightly choreographed. Digital campaigns begin months before releases, while celebrity visibility extends far beyond films into fashion, endorsements and public appearances. None of this suggests an industry preparing to step away from professional image management.
That should not come as a surprise. Modern Bollywood functions in an entertainment economy where attention has become one of its most valuable currencies. A film is no longer competing only with another Friday release. It competes with streaming platforms, cricket, gaming, short-form video and an endless supply of online content. Remaining visible has become almost as important as remaining talented.
Johar himself acknowledged that marketing has a legitimate role. His concern was not promotion itself but what he described as PR operating in “overdrive”, particularly when paid praise begins to blur the distinction between authentic public response and manufactured endorsement.
That distinction matters. Publicity can introduce audiences to a project. It can explain context, generate awareness and help films reach viewers who might otherwise overlook them. What it cannot reliably do is persuade audiences to embrace a weak film once word of mouth begins to spread. Recent box office performance across the industry has repeatedly shown that heavily promoted films can still struggle, while unexpectedly strong audience recommendations can transform modest expectations into commercial success.
In other words, publicity may earn a film its opening conversation. Audiences still decide how long that conversation lasts.
The continuing activity across Bollywood also reflects another commercial reality. Public relations today serves purposes extending well beyond opening weekend collections. Actors manage careers that include international collaborations, luxury brands, digital partnerships and entrepreneurial ventures. Producers court investors. Streaming platforms seek sustained visibility. Public image has become an ongoing business asset rather than something activated only around film releases.
For many professionals, stepping away from PR altogether would mean surrendering influence in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
That is why Johar’s comments may be better understood as a critique of excess rather than a rejection of communication itself. His remarks questioned credibility when every compliment appears available for purchase, not the value of honest engagement with audiences.
His observation sits comfortably alongside Johar’s larger concern. Both perspectives recognise that credibility ultimately belongs to audiences, not publicity campaigns.
There is also a practical irony worth noting. Johar’s criticism itself generated substantial media coverage. Newspapers, television channels and entertainment portals reported his remarks extensively, turning a conversation about reducing PR into one of the most discussed publicity debates of the year. The episode illustrated something Bollywood has understood for decades. Conversations about publicity often become publicity in their own right.
Perhaps that explains why the industry has shown little appetite for abandoning established communication strategies.
Bollywood has always adapted to changing technology, shifting audience behaviour and evolving media platforms. What has remained constant is the industry’s instinct to tell its own stories before someone else does. That instinct appears just as strong today as it did before Johar’s remarks.
Two months on, his warning has certainly fuelled discussion. It has encouraged producers, actors and publicists to think more carefully about authenticity, credibility and audience trust. It just has not persuaded Bollywood to stop doing PR.