MUMBAI : The debate around Bollywood celebrities' outrageous salaries and the rising expenses of their entourages has picked up a lot of steam in recent months. Filmmakers who struggle to make ends meet, such as Anurag Kashyap and Karan Johar, have publicly voiced their concerns about the impact these exorbitant costs have on the viability and quality of filmmaking. Anil Kapoor, a seasoned actor and producer who hosted Bigg Boss OTT for the third season, has recently joined the conversation.
Anil, who has been in the business for more than 40 years and is renowned for his adaptability, has experienced both highs and lows in his roles as producer and performer. He recently discussed how the huge fees that celebrities seek upset the delicate balance of movie expenditures and impact a filmmaker's vision in an interview with Indianexpress.com. "This is an extremely crucial discussion,"
Anil said, “All actors, actresses, and technicians, especially the stars need to be more realistic in charging their fees and demands so that filmmakers can make more films..”
He further said, “I heard what Karan Johar said about the exorbitant fees that actors are charging these days and I completely agree with him. My father, who was a producer, my family, and I have gone through tough times trying to make good films. We tried to put in our money, but the star fees and entourage costs were so high that it became almost impossible to fund the kind of quality films we wanted to make.”
Along with being a producer and director, Surinder Kapoor was the president of the Film & Television Producers Guild of India. He was responsible for several successful films, including Shehzada, Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan, Hum Paanch, Woh Saat Din, Loafer, Judaai, and Sirf Tum. Anil, who started his career as a producer with Badhai Ho Badhai and then funded films such as Gandhi My Father, Aisha, Veere Di Wedding, and Khubsoorat, admits he was severely strapped for cash.
Anil said, ““It disturbs the budget significantly,” he added. “I have gone through this as a producer, and it really pinches.”
Anil said, “I don’t work with the mindset ‘saari duniya mein kuch ho, main toh kamaunga’ (whatever happens to the rest, I must earn). It can’t be like I’m the only one who’s earning. Main hamesha apni fee kam karne ko ready rehta hoon (I am always ready to reduce my fee)”
The Beta actor said, “I have always been willing to take a pay cut. Forget pay cuts; I have done films for free. There have been situations where I have not charged a single rupee to support the makers. I don’t want to name them. There are quite a few actors from my generation and the generations before me who have taken pay cuts and done films for free.”
Anil concluded, “I have managed to stay in the industry for so long because I was willing to compromise on money. It was because of this that these films could be made. Almost 50-55 films in my career have withstood the test of time and brought success not just to me, but also to the makers and people associated with them.”
For more news from the world of Cinema, OTT and television, keep reading Tellychakkar
Credit-IndianExpress
Add new comment