Manoj Bajpayee responds to producers’ complaints about rising star fees: ‘First you give me rasgulla, then you complain’
Actor Manoj Bajpayee, known for his roles in movies like Satya, Shool, Gangs of Wasseypur, Aligarh, and more, was last seen in Apoorv Singh Karki’s film, Bhaiyya Ji. Bajpayee recently highlighted the issue of producers complaining about stars raising their fees in movies and stood in support of the stars.
During an interview with ETimes, Manoj Bajpayee shared his views on the ongoing debate about the exorbitant demands of stars. Bajpayee emphasized that producers, who had been providing perks to the stars, are now contradicting themselves by asking the stars to lower their fees.
“First you feed me rasgulla and protein so that I can go for a marathon because I am the only one you think can win this race, and then you are crying over the number of rasgullas I ate or the protein shakes I drank!” the Satya actor stated.
Speaking about his own experiences, Bajpayee highlighted the hypocrisy of producers choosing stars over actors like him and mentioned that he has not demanded huge fees yet.
He mentioned that producers opt for stars as they can ensure box office numbers, labeling the industry as a gamble.
Bajpayee further mentioned that there is nothing wrong with stars asking for facilities as long as their fees are not unreasonable. Referring to stars as the “face of the film,” the GOW actor shared that many stars agree to reduced fees and instead earn from profit sharing.
Previously, filmmakers like Karan Johar and Farah Khan have commented on the increasing fees of stars as they also have to cover the production costs.
In an old interview with Faye D’Souza, Karan revealed that “movie stars” demand Rs. 35 crores for a film but end up with a low opening at the box office.
Returning to Manoj Bajpayee’s latest release, Bhaiyya Ji, the film also featured Zoya Hussain and Vipin Sharma. The movie hit theaters on May 24 this year and is now available for streaming on ZEE5 since July 26.
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