Sudhir Pandey criticizes the cost of the directors, says the amount of bottled water alone is enough to make a small budget film: ‘The stars who arrive with the whole crew look very fake’ |

The net worth of Bollywood stars is a topic that has been talked about for a while now. Many in the industry are complaining about how they increase the budget of the film and it is a burden on the producers. The controversy escalated after the makers of Chiranjeevi’s hit, Mana Shankara Varu Prasad Garu, revealed that although the film was budgeted at around Rs 200 crore, its production cost was around Rs 25 crore. Reports also say that Chiranjeevi’s salary alone is more than 75 crore.Now veteran actor Sudhir Pandey has now shed light on the discussion, reflecting on the inequality between leading artists and actors on film sets. He added that the amount spent on buying bottled drinking water during filming could be enough to sustain a small budget film.Pandey also said that actors are rarely given empty vans similar to those given to superstars. He said in an interview with Siddharth Kannan, “It is very rare for actors like us to get a big car for nothing. Usually, we are given a small one. The stars who arrive with a whole convoy look fake and made up. It feels like a waste of money. If they are spending it in their pocket, it is different.” But if the producers are paying, then it’s just a waste. The money spent there is enough to make a cheap film.” He said, “You won’t believe it, but the amount spent on Bisleri water alone can be enough to make a small budget movie.When asked if he himself has a group of people, Pandey explained that he does not. “I don’t have a team. There was a time when I was not well and I had to take my food and medicine on time, so I had a guy to help me. I pay for it myself. Several producers offered to cover the money, but I always told them that if they can’t, I will pay. That has never been a problem.”Talking about the gap between the stars and the assistants, Pandey admitted that it is a common practice within the industry. “You can’t do anything about it. It’s part of this nonsense culture—I use the word ‘senseless’ deliberately.” We say we are democrats, but we are far from them.important, Aamir Khan in the past he has spoken out against the same culture of taking producer’s fees with the larger population. Appearing to marketing expert Komal Nahta on YouTube Game Changers, Aamir said that while stars should be respected, they should not abuse their role by placing unnecessary burdens on producers.“Stars deserve respect, but not to the extent that they start harassing producers,” Aamir said. Recalling the beginning of his career almost 37 years ago, the actor revealed that he was taken back when he realized that the producers always paid the star workers.“There was a system where the star’s driver and assistant were paid on set. I found that very strange. I thought, ‘The driver and the assistant are working for me, so why is the producer paying?’ If the developer is paying my workers, does that mean they have to pay my children’s school too? Where does it stop?”Aamir explained that he stopped the practice from the very beginning.“I believe that the producers of the film should spend on things that are really important for the film such as make-up, hair, clothes. But how is my driver or my assistant supporting the film? They work for me, so it is my responsibility to pay them, especially when I receive a good reception.He also said that he is concerned about what he believes has become widespread among young people who exercise.“I hear that stars these days don’t even pay their drivers and instead ask the producers to bear the cost. It doesn’t end there. The producers are also paying their boys, trainers and cooks. I also heard that the actors now have a living kitchen and they expect the producers to pay for it. They also need several empty vans-for the kitchen, the gym and other purposes.”Questioning the reasons behind this, Aamir concluded: “Where do you spend all the money you earn? You are making the producer pay you. Why should the producer give you 6 useless vans when you only need one for makeup?”