The salaries of Bollywood stars have long been a topic of discussion. Everything about money seems to be front and center in the entertainment business, from the price tag of a movie to the wage gap. After the unprecedented financial success of South Indian films like KGF 2, Kantara, RRR, and others, the Hindi cinema industry has had a tough go of it ever since the COVID pandemic.
When asked about the performers’ refusal to reduce their salaries in the face of a box office slump, Bollywood producers have often expressed their frustration. And now, the head honcho of T-Series has come clean on the subject as well.
Karan Johar has already spoken out on the topic, criticizing Bollywood celebrities for demanding 20 crores for a 5 crore opening weekend.
In his return, Bhushan Kumar, head of the leading production company in Bollywood, T-Series, discussed the high payments that performers want to be cast in a film. He criticized actors, saying that while some of them get the market, others want 20-25 crore. But the creators are the ones who have to take the hit.
Bhushan Kumar, a Bollywood producer, told Pinkvilla,
“So far, from what I can tell, they are talking positively about us. They know how the market works. They are not saying ‘nahi, hum understand nahi karenge market ko’.”
Bhushan Kumar said more about the celebrities who don’t negotiate their fees:
“Lekin abhi still some actors are there, who say ki ‘nahi, hum toh itna hi lenge, warna nahi karenge.’ Toh hum unke saath nahi kar rahe. Hum unko bol rahe hain, ‘mat karo, we also don’t want to do.’ Hum nuksaan ke liye kyu karenge? So many people have suffered losses in big films and we have seen that. So why we should give you money and we suffer loss, and you earn such a big amount? Ki aap 20 crore, 25 crore lelo and hum nuksaan kare film.”
“In which we are also earning, the project is also safe, the project is not becoming heavy. But jahaa pe project aapka cost itni cost nahi le sakta, waha pe hum actors se baat kar rahe hai,” he concludes saying.
The director has previously claimed of Karan Johar that a film itself never bombs but its budget often does.
