Kareena Kapoor Khan has spoken openly about what she sees as Bollywood's tendency to follow successful trends rather than experiment with fresh ideas. The actress referred to the success of her cousin Ranbir Kapoor's Animal while explaining how the film industry often rushes to repeat a formula once audiences respond to it.

Kareena is currently promoting her upcoming crime mystery thriller Dayara, directed by Meghna Gulzar and also starring Prithviraj Sukumaran. The film is scheduled to hit theatres on September 18.

During a conversation with YouTube channel Yuvaa, Kareena said audiences today are smarter than filmmakers sometimes assume and can decide for themselves what kind of content they want to watch.

Kareena Kapoor Speaks About Bollywood's ‘Herd Mentality’

Kareena explained that the industry has traditionally relied on certain formulas. For instance, filmmakers once believed that a young romantic film necessarily needed particular ingredients, such as songs.

According to her, similar thinking can emerge whenever a new genre or style becomes successful.

Referring to the current popularity of violent films and Animal, Kareena suggested that the industry shouldn't assume that because one such film succeeds, everyone needs to start making violent movies.

Her larger point was that simply copying a successful trend does not guarantee that audiences will accept another film built around the same formula.

‘Audiences Are Smarter Than We Think’

Kareena believes today's moviegoers have become increasingly selective about the films they choose to watch.

She said audiences can often make up their minds after watching a trailer. Rather than going to theatres simply because a movie belongs to a popular genre, viewers are increasingly looking at whether the film itself interests them.

For filmmakers, this means conventional formulas may no longer be enough to guarantee success.

Some Filmmakers Are Still Trying Something Different

Although Kareena acknowledged the industry's herd mentality, she also pointed out that several filmmakers continue to experiment with different stories and styles.

According to her, some directors want to create films that challenge viewers, make them think and offer something different from mainstream formulas. Such filmmakers can also develop their own loyal audiences.

Kareena believes this changing relationship between filmmakers and viewers could gradually encourage the industry to take more creative risks.

Comedy Doesn't Automatically Guarantee an Audience

Kareena also addressed another common assumption in the film business—that attaching a popular genre to a movie is enough to attract audiences.

She explained that filmmakers can no longer simply label a movie a comedy and expect people to automatically buy tickets.

Similarly, every release cannot be expected to cross box-office milestones of ₹200 crore or ₹500 crore.

For Kareena, this unpredictability is one reason filmmakers need to reconsider established formulas and experiment with different kinds of storytelling.

Audience Choices Could Change Bollywood

Kareena believes audiences themselves will play an important role in deciding how the film industry evolves.

If viewers support distinctive stories rather than repeatedly choosing familiar formulas, filmmakers may have greater confidence to experiment. At the same time, simply copying whatever worked at the box office most recently may become increasingly risky.

Her comments highlight a larger debate within Bollywood—whether filmmakers should continue chasing successful trends or focus more heavily on original storytelling.

Kareena Kapoor's Next Film Is ‘Dayara’

On the professional front, Kareena will next be seen in Meghna Gulzar's Dayara. Prithviraj Sukumaran also plays an important role in the crime mystery thriller.

The film is scheduled for release on September 18, and Kareena is currently busy with its promotions.

With her latest remarks, however, the actress has also put the spotlight on Bollywood's approach to box-office trends. Her message is clear: one successful film shouldn't become a template for the entire industry, especially when today's audiences are increasingly capable of deciding what they actually want to watch.