Hits and Misses - the Irony of a Non-a-Lister’s Life

A-listers Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan, Hrithik Roshan, Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan and Pawan Kalyan have not delivered a bona fide hit in ages, But they all get paid anything between Rs 90 and Rs 140 crore per film. On the other hand, actors with a track record of critically and/or commercially successful performances get a mere pittance.

Vikrant Massey, who shared the National Best Actor award with superstar Shah Rukh Khan this year, is paid around Rs 10 crore. When Vikrant was signed by producer-director Vidhu Vinod Chopra for 12th Fail, Chopra told Vikrant flatly that no one would come to see the film as he was a television actor. Of course, 12th Fail went on to become a big success. Made at a budget of Rs 20 crores, the film earned more than Rs 70 crores. Ideally, Massey who received a paltry Rs 1.5 crore as fee, should have been compensated after the film’s success.

“Our film industry doesn’t work that way,” says producer-director Suneel Darshan. “And why should it? If all the losses have to be borne by the producer, then the profit too is rightfully the producers. As for those you have named as genuine actors, they are all very good, but they do not draw in the audience. In their case, it is the content, not the actor, that sells.”

Director Ajay Bahl defends the star system. “Even in these bleak times these A-listers get audiences to the theatre and their films command a hefty OTT price. It's sad but it's a reality. Also, the big stars either produce films themselves or work with a regular set of producers, so if one film makes a loss they can always make it up in the next film. In some cases they let go a part of their fee.

But these things never come out.” Rajkummar Rao, who has proven to be a dependable actor, refuses to divulge his fee but admits it is a lot less than what he should be getting.

“It (the remuneration) is nowhere near what the superstars are charging. But it is a lot more than what I used to get earlier. So I am okay with it,” he says philosophically.

Filmmaker-actor Ananth Mahadevan feels perennially shortchanged by the film industry.

“Forget about being paid decently. They sign an actor like me who has been in the field for 45 years as if they’re doing a favour, and ask for auditions. They offer paltry amounts both as actor and director when I am confident I can do and think better than those who are offered crores to direct films which make no sense. This huge discrepancy is nothing but exploitation and sucking up to mainstream formula. Most of the time they avoid paying me by saying there is no money left or by arguing that they produced the film I wanted to direct, as though they did me a favour,” he rages.

However, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap debunks the myth of good actors not being paid well. “They all now get paid a lot. Rajkummar Rao’s fee is around Rs 12 crores. Ayushmann gets more. Manoj gets between Rs 8-12 crores depending on the film,” he says.

But isn’t it still a pittance compared with what the superstars get? Anurag counters, “It is a windfall compared to what they used to get earlier. That’s why smaller films now are impossible. A film like Newton or Shahid can’t be made. I made Mukkabaaz in 2018 for Rs 4.5 crores. So I don’t understand this new economics. The money was spent on the film then. But if I had to make Mukkabaaz in the same circumstances with the same actors now, just eight years later, it would cost at least Rs 20 crores. We made Part 2 of Gangs Of Wasseypur with Rs 16.5 crores. Today it’s impossible. In Hollywood, big stars support films and become part-producers to make it possible. The Rock made Smashing Machine happen. Leonardo DiCaprio made one dream project after another possible. Hamare yahan aisa nahin hota.”