Karan Johar to downscale star fees, no more astronomical paychecks

Jan 9, 2023 - 10:30

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Karan Johar to downscale star fees, no more astronomical paychecks

Stars can no longer ask for prices that they cannot justify. Producers can no longer afford it, and stars no more deserve it.

If we look at the opening of last year’s films starring A-listers Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan and Varun Dhawan and Ranveer Singh, the fees that they demand is not only irrational but insane. What makes producers so dependent on stars as to give them the fee that they demand without verifying their clout at the box office?

Karan Johar, who is the maverick among the movie Moghuls of Bollywood, demolishes the myth that his actors give him a discount out of goodwill. They charge him their full price. More than half the budget of Karan’s Dharma Productions’ last year’s semi-hit Jugjugg Jeeyo went into star fees.

Karan Johar and many other top producers including Sajid Nadiadwala, Ritesh Sidhwani and Aditya Chopra have “requested” their actors to take a voluntary pay cut as these producers can’t afford to pay the actors what they want.

It is the domino effect: you pay Varan Dhawan what he wants, then you pay Anil Kapoor, the same in a film as otherwise he will feel insulted. The truth is that besides Ajay Devgn, only Kartik Aaryan has delivered a hit last year. According to trade insiders, only Kartik Aaryan has been offered a pay hike. His producers Bhushan Kumar and Murad Khetani have offered Karti Aaryan a substantial pay hike for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3.

When he declined the offer arguing that the recession demands him to play down his rising fortunes, Kumar presented him with an expensive car as a token of appreciation. Kartik is the only A-lister who has delivered a solid hit. All other so-called A-listers are sailing in the same leaky boat and it’s time for them to get off their high horses and knock off a few zeroes from their paychecks.

After the crippling debacle of Heropanti 2, director Ahmed Khan and his leading man Tiger Shroff have both taken a pay cut for their next for producer Sajid Nadiadwala which will be a light comedy musical. Nadiadwala, incidentally, is getting ready to launch his own son.

As for the others, Ayushmann Khurrana after Anek, Doctor G and An Action Hero, Aditya Roy Kapur after Rashtra Kavach Om, Akshay Kumar after Bachchhan Paandey, Samrat Prithviraj, Cuttputli, Ram Setu and Raksha Bandhan, Ranveer Singh after Jayeshbhai Jordaar and Cirkus, and John Abraham after Satyamev Jayate 2 and Attack, should be paying the producers to sign them.