Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has recently highlighted an important strategy employed by Bollywood's top stars - Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan - that helps manage production costs in an industry currently facing financial challenges.
In light of reports by The Indian Express describing Bollywood's financial drought, Kashyap emphasized the need for the industry to take lessons from these superstars.
Bollywood has been experiencing significant financial strain, with many insiders stating that the business is running dry. The high fees and entourage costs demanded by stars have exacerbated these issues. During a discussion with Bollywood Bubble, Kashyap stressed that he would not hesitate to dismiss any actor making unreasonable demands that inflate production costs, regardless of their stardom.
"If anyone makes unnecessary demands on set, I remove the actor. For me, makeup and hair are departments led by heads who choose their teams. If someone makes unreasonable demands, I replace them, regardless of their star power," Kashyap asserted. He further added that this approach is why he often works with newcomers, as he prioritizes the project's integrity over an actor's fame.
Kashyap also criticized the industry practice of allocating 50-60 percent of production costs to star fees. He explained, "When making a film, more money is wasted on unnecessary things than on production. Actors' fees are market-driven, but I stay within limits and often forfeit my fees. I've worked on over 60 percent of my films for zero fees."
He cited "Gangs of Wasseypur" as an example, where he took no fee to avoid replacing actors with big stars. However, Kashyap pointed out that the industry's most cost-conscious individuals are Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan. "These three do not charge upfront fees for their films. They take a share of the profits instead, which keeps their films from being excessively costly."
Recently, several film producer bodies and top talent management agencies in Bollywood have convened to address the high costs associated with star entourages. These costs have heavily burdened productions, leading to significant pay cuts for everyone except the stars.