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The travel expenses of Bollywood stars is now a topic of discussion. Many industry insiders have complained about how this adds to film budgets and burdens producers. The controversy gained momentum after the makers of Chiranjeevi’s Man Shankara Bharu Prasad Garu revealed that while the film was mounted on a budget of around Rs 200 crore, its actual production cost was around Rs 25 crore. The report also claims that Chiranjeevi’s remuneration alone exceeds Rs 75 crore.Now veteran actor Sudhir Pandey has now weighed in on the discussion, reflecting on the unequal treatment of top stars and character actors on the sets of the film. He even suggested that the amount spent on bottled drinking water during a shoot could be enough for a small-budget film.Pandey points out that supporting actors are rarely given the vanity vans that are allotted to top stars. He said in an interview with Siddharth Kannan, “It’s very rare for character actors like us to get a big vanity van. Usually, we are given a small vanity. The stars who bring the whole convoy look very fake and make-up. It seems like a waste of money. If they spend from their own pockets, it’s different. But if producers are paying for it, it’s just a waste. The amount of money wasted there is enough for one to make a small budget film.” He further commented, “You won’t believe it, but the amount spent on Bisleri water can be enough to make a small budget film.”When asked if he himself maintains a personal team, Pandey explained that he does not. “I don’t have a team. There was a time when I was sick and had to take my food and medicine on time, so I had a boy with me to help. I paid him myself. A few producers offered to cover the expenses, but I always told them that if they couldn’t, I would pay for it. It was never a problem.”Talking about the disparity between stars and fellow actors, Pandey admits that he has come to accept it as the norm within the industry. “You can’t do anything about it. It’s part of this dysfunctional culture—I use the word ‘failure’ deliberately. We claim to be democratic, but we’re far from it. Anyone who gets to a position of power in any field starts to dictate and people just follow. You can’t challenge them.”Interestingly, Aamir Khan Previously spoke out against the same culture of producer-funded private spending and large-scale teams. Appearing on trade analyst Komal Nahta’s YouTube show Game Changers, Aamir argued that while stars deserve respect, they should not abuse their position by imposing unnecessary financial burden on producers.“Stars deserve respect, but not so much that they start troubling the producers,” said Aamir. Recalling the start of his career some 37 years ago, the actor revealed that he was taken back after discovering that producers regularly paid for a star’s personal staff.“There was a system where the producers would pay the stars for drivers and helpers on set. I thought that was very strange. I thought, ‘The drivers and helpers work for me, so why are the producers paying them?’ If the producer pays for my personal staff, does that mean he has to pay my children’s school fees too? Where does it stop?”Amir explained that he completed the exercise for himself from the beginning.“I believe that producers should spend only on things that are really necessary for the film – makeup, hair, costumes. But how are my personal drivers or helpers contributing to the film? They work for me, so it is my responsibility to pay them, especially when I earn well. From day one, I have made it clear that none of my producers will pay for my drivers or helpers. It has been 37 years now.”He also expressed concern that he believes it has become a widespread trend among young actors in the industry.“I’ve heard that stars today don’t even pay their own drivers and instead ask the producers to bear the cost. It doesn’t stop there. Producers are also paying for their spot boys, trainers and cooks. I even hear that actors now have live kitchens on set and producers expect to foot the bill. They also demand multiple vanity vans – for kitchens among other purposes.”Questioning the justification behind such claims, Aamir concluded: “Where are you spending all your earnings? These stars are earning crores and still not able to meet their own needs? I find it very strange. It is very sad and harmful for the industry. I say this very strongly – it is a shame that even today their producers and actors can be unproductive for their films. Afford a certain lifestyle, Why are you paying the producer for it Why would a producer supply you with six vanity vans when all you need is one makeup?
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