Farah Khan, Kunal Kohli, Kriti Sanon, and Janhvi Kapoor have also warned about entourage costs.
Kartik Aaryan is the latest actor to criticize Bollywood entourage charges, which have hurt the Hindi film industry and prompted below-the-line professionals to take salary cutbacks. He stated that actors’ fees are based on each film’s “revenue model,” and as long as the budget’s “mathematics” add up, everything should be alright. Indian Express has extensively covered how actor and entourage fees—make up, hairdresser, stylists, spot dada—have ruined the film industry, increasing costs and degrading other artists’ remuneration.
Kartik told Showsha that he waived his fee for last year’s action comedy Shehzada due to financial issues. He produced Rohit Dhawan’s Kriti Sanon-starring film.
“I got a producer credit in the film because I waived my fee. When nobody was talking about this, I did it. I cut my pay since they were broke. Nobody writes this about stars. Many stars do this and more. Simple math exists. All filmmakers, actors, and producers want their movie to succeed. No one likes loading movies. He claimed no one thinks, “No no, I will charge what I want, film jaaye bhaad mein (the film be damned)”.
Shehzada producer Bhushan Kumar previously said Kartik Aaryan “stood” by the team during “turbulent times” as he cut his price.
Kartik Aaryan explained the “math” of film production and distribution to PTI. “So, you get ‘x’ money. If your star value and the project’s value profit the team, the math makes sense. In case not, consider taking a cut. A constructive discussion… My philosophy is that math must add up, he said.
Last week, Bollywood’s largest talent management agencies and film producer bodies began the first round of entourage cost discussions. A source told Indianexpress.com that various talent management companies, under heat for facilitating soaring entourage costs, guaranteed producers in the conference that they would restructure to find “possible solutions” and return with a plan.
Directors Farah Khan and Kunal Kohli, actors Kriti Sanon and Janhvi Kapoor have also addressed the subject.
Kartik Aaryan awaits Chandu Champion. On June 14, Kabir Khan’s film will enter theaters.
