Karan Johar on Bollywood vs South film industry debate: Calling South films ‘Superior’ to Hindi cinema divides us

Karan Johar has voiced his disagreement with the North versus South debate. At the opening of the WAVES Summit in Mumbai on Friday, the filmmaker stated that it's divisive to claim South Indian cinema is superior to Hindi cinema.

Karan Johar's views on the North vs South debate

Karan Johar shared, “I do believe Vijay, you come from a cinema which is truly majestic, and that is, of course, a separate debate: Is South cinema superior to Hindi cinema. I think that divides us. We truly have to believe that it is Indian cinema. We are all Indian cinema. We are not North, we are not South, we are collectively making cinema what it is. I think that’s most important that we don’t divide. I always say this, and I request Indian media that when you ask this, you are actually dividing us. And when you divide us, you break us.”

Vijay Deverakonda calls for collaboration

Deverakonda agreed, pointing out that while the South-North cinema debate makes for catchy headlines, it doesn’t benefit the industry. He cited the huge success of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' and 'Jawan,' both crossing the ₹1000 crore mark, as examples of the potential when the two film industries come together. Vijay said, “Imagine if Shah Rukh Khan and Allu Arjun starred in the same movie-it would unite the entire country.” He emphasized that the main goal for any artist is to reach a wider audience, and that can only happen through collaboration between the regions.

WAVES 2025: Cinema as Soft Power

The session called "Cinema: The Soft Power" was led by Karan Johar and included talks by Kareena Kapoor and Vijay Deverakonda. WAVES 2025, organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, aims to support filmmaking and the movie business in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the event on Thursday. More than 10,000 people, 1,000 creators, 300 companies, and 350 startups from over 90 countries are taking part. The event started on May 1 and will continue until May 4.