Copycat Culture: Why Bollywood Obsessed with Trends?

Actress Ananya Panday recently spoke about Bollywood’s growing habit of following trends instead of focusing on original storytelling. She said the industry often reacts quickly to box office success. Many filmmakers attempt to recreate the same formula rather than develop new ideas.

Ananya Panday shared these thoughts during a conversation that also featured Kareena Kapoor. She explained that once a film becomes successful, the industry quickly begins producing similar projects. According to her, the rush to copy trends has become a common pattern.

Referring to recent examples, Ananya mentioned the reaction after the success of Saiyaara. She noted that the immediate response in the industry was to develop more films with a similar theme and style. This trend-driven approach, she said, often limits originality.

Kareena Kapoor agreed with the observation during the discussion. She pointed out that the same pattern appears in the popularity of certain genres. The rise of horror films in recent years is one example where multiple projects follow the same trend.

Ananya also discussed how typecasting affects actors in the industry. She said that at one stage many offers she received focused mainly on Gen Z characters and social media based narratives. This, she explained, reflects how actors are quickly labelled.

According to Ananya Panday, such patterns reduce opportunities for creative storytelling. When actors are placed into fixed categories, filmmakers often repeat the same ideas. She believes the industry should explore diverse roles and fresh narratives more often.

During the conversation, Ananya highlighted the Malayalam film Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra as an example of a different approach. The film stars Kalyani Priyadarshan in the lead role. It presents a superhero story centred on a woman character.

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra was directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan under Wayfarer Films. Released in 2025, the film reportedly performed well at the box office. Its success shows that audiences welcome fresh ideas and unique storytelling.