John Abraham called stylists charging Rs 2 lakh per day ‘mental’ and urged actors to introspect on the poor state of the industry that is ‘bleeding’.
Actor and producer John Abraham recently opened up about the state of Hindi cinema, revealing how the industry is suffering due to the exorbitant fees charged by actors and the hefty costs they pay to their staff. The Satyameva Jayate actor called stylists charging Rs 2 lakh per day ‘mental’ and urged actors to introspect on the poor state of the industry that is ‘bleeding’.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, John said, “Hindi cinema is already suffering because of this. At this point in time, we should not be paying people to act in films because we don’t justify those huge budgets. The huge fees we get, and we can’t even put the cost of Entourage in a film. It’s ridiculous.
I don’t know if the actors are thinking this way or their agents are making them think differently. I understand you are put in a bubble, but you can’t be that foolish. You need to look at the real world. If people are blowing incense behind your back, you need to wake up and smell the coffee. As an industry, we are really suffering.”
John suggested that before anything else, actors should reduce their fees and be ready to hear from directors if they don’t deserve what they are demanding. He said, “The first thing to improve is to cut down your personal costs. When a director tells you that you are not worth that much, you need to take it into account. We don’t have such an idea yet.
We compare ourselves to other actors, and we want to broadcast our fees, and that’s the worst thing.” He further stressed that actors need to accept the crisis of the industry and focus on making films instead of draining resources.
He said, “Actors should accept that we are in deep darkness, and actors should go to the backend and work on the film. Actors should say that if films make a profit, we also make a profit because we have made our millions. How much more will you suck up to the system?”
However, John did not blame only the actors. He also called out producers for paying exorbitant fees to actors in the hope of getting a good opening for their films. “But the producers are all willing to pay that obscene amount.”
John stressed that the main issue of the industry is the failure to focus on content, stressing how filmmakers are prioritising star power over strong storytelling. He said, “Make films, don’t make offers. No actor can get you a start today. Keep your content right and cast actors according to the script.”
He also spoke about how studios are reluctant to take risks on actors beyond established stars, choosing to play safe instead. He suggested this is another major factor preventing the industry from evolving.
John Abraham express it is ‘mental’ for stylists to be paid Rs 2 lakh per day, believes film industry is ‘bleeding’ staff costs: ‘How much more will you suck the system?’
