It was in January 2020 when the world was hit by a novel coronavirus. It is going to be two years and we are still battling with the deadly coronavirus. To prevent the outspread of the deadly virus, the governments induced complete lockdown and everything was temporarily shut, resulting in losses. The entertainment industry was also massively affected by the same as films were not releasing and shoots were delayed. Recently, a few filmmakers came together for an interview, and during the same, Karan Johar revealed that even during a pandemic, the newcomers are asking for Rs 20-30 crore for a movie and he is “fed up.”
Oftentimes, there are reports of actors increasing their fees even during the pandemic. In an interview, Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Nikkhil Advani, and Sameer Nair came together to discuss the problem, the rationale behind it, and the need to pay the crew better.
Speaking to Film Companion, Karan talked about newcomers charging Rs 20-30 crores and said, “I am so fed up. I have seen prices of actors rise through the worst period of cinema for no reason. They hadn’t had a release, their last release was a failure, their films have not taken off, and yet they are just [rising their prices] because they are riding on the digital money. They have gone beyond deluded. And we all have to just suck it up and work with them because this is what we do.”
“They don’t understand. Because in the climate that we are in, nobody is taking theatrical backends. You are taking a percentage of profit instead, which you can offer as well. Striking those deals with megastars make sense. What I am not understanding is that there is a younger order that is yet to prove their muscle at the box office. But instantly, you hear [them asking for] 25-35 crores. What are these numbers?” added Karan.
Karan is known for launching many new talents in the film industry and is the name behind many successful projects.
On the work front, Karan has returned to directors after a long gap and is busy directing Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, which stars Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Jaya Bachchan, Dharmendra in pivotal roles. Karan is also all excited to make Takht, which has been in the news for years now. The filmmaker said that he will start work on Takht next.
