The debate around the high entourage costs of actors and their impact on film budgets has been gaining momentum in the industry. Recently, in a conversation with ANI, veteran filmmaker KC Bokadia praised Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan , Salman Khan and Rajinikanth for their professionalism, saying they never asked producers to pay their staff’s salaries. He also urged actors to show some consideration towards producers and have mercy on them when it comes to entourage costs.
He then highlighted how actors today demand four to 10 vanity vans and urged them to pay their staff themselves. He said, “We have heard that even someone who just makes tea and a manager charge ₹ 1.5 lakh a day. People charge ₹ 1–2 lakh for a day’s shoot. Nobody charges less than ₹ 50,000 these days.
The veteran filmmaker spoke about the changing dynamics on film sets and shared an anecdote about Jackie Shroff’s approach to working arrangements during a shoot in Chennai (then Madras). He recalled how he once intervened after noticing that the actor had been provided with a double room instead of a suite. However, Jackie was not concerned about it at all. Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Rajinikanth, all of them… They never made producers pay their staff. Atleast reach their level and show their level of grace. The veteran filmmaker also spoke about the hefty salaries charged by crew members, calling the figures shocking. They say they don’t want a two-door van; they want a gym-equipped van. We tell them, please have some mercy on the producer, or a day may come when we will have to hire even four people to carry the body on their shoulders.”
He said, “Amitabh Bachchan never took the salary of his staff. He pointed out that actors today expect producers to bear the expenses of their personal staff and often demand four vanity vans for different purposes.
