Renowned filmmaker Anurag Kashyap recently voiced his concerns about the escalating entourage costs in Bollywood, sparking a debate within the industry. In an interview with Janice Sequeira, Kashyap highlighted some of the most outrageous demands he has encountered from celebrities. He mentioned an incident involving a celebrity chef who charged a staggering ₹2 lakh per day. “The most ridiculous demand is that there’s some chef who charges ₹2 lakh per day to make food that looks like birdfeed. The portions were so small. The actor had some health issue and claimed it’s the only thing they eat,” Kashyap remarked.
Another anecdote involved an actor who insisted that his driver be dispatched to a five-star hotel to fetch a specific burger with vegan-free ingredients, despite the remote location of the shoot. Kashyap humorously noted that the burger would have been cold by the time it reached the actor, questioning the practicality of such demands.
Criticism from Industry Veterans
Kashyap didn’t hold back his criticism of producers who indulge such extravagant requests. “It’s the fault of the producers and their agents. I don’t know why the producers allow it on their sets. It doesn’t happen on my sets,” he asserted. Highlighting the disparity in pay, Kashyap revealed that hair and makeup artists often charge ₹75,000 per day, significantly more than what many technicians earn. He added that if he were a hair and makeup artist, he would be far richer due to these inflated fees.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, a long-time collaborator with Kashyap, echoed similar sentiments. Siddiqui shared his astonishment at the excessive demands of some actors, noting, “There are many unnecessary demands that actors have; they want everything lavish. I have even heard that some actors have five vanity vans — one for gymming, one for cooking, one for eating, bathing, practising lines, and what not. This is madness. Only someone mad can go around with five vanity vans.”
Anurag Kashyap’s Upcoming Projects
Despite these industry challenges, Anurag Kashyap continues to thrive professionally. He is set to appear as a villain in the upcoming Disney+ Hotstar series Bad Cop. Additionally, fans eagerly await the release of his long-pending film, Kennedy. Kashyap’s outspoken nature and dedication to filmmaking have solidified his reputation as a maverick in Bollywood, unafraid to challenge the status quo.
The discussion around entourage costs has opened a broader conversation about the sustainability and ethics of such demands in the entertainment industry. As more filmmakers and actors voice their opinions, it remains to be seen whether any significant changes will be implemented to curb these excesses.