'Good actors get peanuts': Abhishek Banerjee on Bollywood's star culture
What's the story
Abhishek Banerjee, a renowned actor and former casting director, has shed light on the financial disparities within the film industry.
He revealed that significant funds are often reserved for stars rather than actors.
As his career continues to rise with upcoming projects like Stree 2 and Rana Naidu 2, Banerjee shared his perspective on the industry's financial dynamics.
"Not everybody is seeking gold, some are happy with what they have," he told Hindustan Times.
Star vs Actor
The difference between stars and actors
Banerjee made a clear distinction between stars and actors when discussing the escalating film budgets due to rising actor fees and additional costs.
"You are talking about stars, not actors. That's completely a star thing, one can't blame actors for that. The producers have to decide," he stated, emphasizing that financial decisions ultimately rest with the producers.
He also addressed the issue of excessive demands made by some stars that inflate a film's budget.
Star demands
The 'Bhediya' actor expressed concern over unnecessary star demands
Drawing from his experience as a casting director, Banerjee expressed concern over the excessive demands made by certain stars that increase a film's budget.
He said, "So many unnecessary demands are made by certain stars...I would be told by makers 'kam paise mein cast karo' (cast actors in less money)."
He highlighted the unfortunate reality where talented actors sometimes receive minimal pay for their work due to these inflated budgets.
"Sometimes good actors get peanuts."
Actor's value
Banerjee stressed on the value actors bring to a story
Banerjee, best known for his role as Hathoda Tyagi in the series Paatal Lok, emphasized the value an actor brings to a story.
He stated, "Star value of course gets people to the theatres and buy tickets, but at the same time, an actor also adds same value to a story...One can't pay a star's bodyguard more than an actor's daily wage."
He underscored that actors' contributions should not be undervalued or neglected.
Budget constraints
Past experiences of budget constraints
The 39-year-old shared his past experiences of facing budget constraints during casting.
He said, "We would be told 'hamare paas budget itna hi hai lekin achha actor chahiye' (We have only this budget but we need a good actor)...Kam paison mein how do I convince a good actor to be a part of a particular project."
Banerjee has been a casting director for Rock On 2 and Ok Jaanu, among other projects.
He will next be seen in Vedaa.