Many Actors Waiting for ‘Next Assignment’

If Telugu cinema is facing a recession, its Hindi counterpart is not far behind. Several of the so-called A- and B-listers are not actively working. The busiest A-listers of Bollywood at the moment are Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, and Vicky Kaushal.

Others are sailing in a leaky boat. Varun Dhawan has only Border 2, which is an ensemble cast and will therefore not benefit his career in any way. He also has a comedy on the floors, directed by his father David Dhawan, which has been stuck for quite some time. It is rumoured that he spends more than his income on self-promotion these days.

Siddharth Malhotra and Aditya Roy Kapur, both projected as media stars, have practically no assignments on hand. Siddharth’s wife Kiara Advani is doing relatively better. Saif Ali Khan is busier than his two children, Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Ali Khan, with both their careers being on hold after multiple flops.

And what would Ananya Panday’s career be without Karan Johar, who repeatedly signs her because of his close association with her family? After the debacle of Tu Meri Main Tera Tu Mera Main Teri, Ananya still has one Karan Johar project – Chand Mera Dil – with Lakshya, another Johar protégé.

According to a leading trade expert who wishes to go unnamed, “Most of the so-called stars are surviving through paid PR, positioning themselves as top stars when in fact no one is coming forward to sign them. Even Alia Bhatt has only Sanjay Bhansali’s Love& War. Her other project, Alpha, is on hold. Even a Tripti Dimri is busier than the supposedly privileged star kids. Jahnvi is more popular for her endorsements! Sister Khushi has no takers.”

More and more actors are gravitating towards production to protect their own interests. Aamir Khan has produced a film for his son Junaid while his own plate is currently empty. Salman Khan maintains his façade of superstardom by producing and ghost directing his own films. Even Shah Rukh’s next (King) is a home production.

“Who can afford Shah Rukh Khan’s `160-crore fee? None of the A-listers are offering a discount for the recession. As for the self-styled stars, their fake followers on social media don’t translate into an audience in movie theatres. As far as leading ladies are concerned, actresses from the South like Rashmika Mandanna, Sara Arjun and Kalyani Priyadarshan are gravitating towards Hindi cinema. They are disciplined and affordable,” notes the trade expert.