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Stardom in the Hindi film industry may shine on screen, but behind that dazzle lies a maze of expenses that can swallow fame’s finances whole. The stories are real, the numbers significant, and the consequences urgent.
When actor John Abraham recently denounced Hindi cinema’s soaring salaries and entourage costs as “ridiculous,” he struck a chord across the film industry. His words exposed a hard truth, not just vanity, but money bleeding from budgets that desperately need reprieve.
Star pay and performance pressure
Only a select few can demand ultra-high paydays. Producer Anand Pandit confirmed that roughly ten actors dominate the “sellable” list and command fees between ₹150 crore to ₹300 crore per film depending on expected returns. He also argues that actor compensation should be tied to box-office returns, particularly first-weekend collections, to align incentives and accountability for astronomical payouts.
Brand power outshines acting fees
Ironically, many Hindi cinema stars earn far more from endorsements than from films themselves. Shah Rukh Khan, for instance, reportedly makes around ₹75 crore annually through advertisements. Hrithik Roshan is said to command ₹35 crore, and for Deepika Padukone up to 65 percent of her income is said to come from brand deals. Even just a few seconds in a TV ad can bring in millions: Akshay Kumar reportedly charges ₹80 lakh to ₹1 crore per commercial, Priyanka Chopra is said to charge between ₹40 lakh to ₹1 crore, and Aamir Khan reportedly charges somewhere between ₹50 lakh to ₹70 lakh.
Entourage excesses and on-set extravagance
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap pulled back the curtain on over-the-top demands that producers tolerate. A personal chef charging ₹2 lakh per day, stylists billed ₹75,000 a day, and absurd burger requests flown in from a five-star. Such costs drain the production core. John Abraham echoed this sentiment, arguing that excessive overheads weaken Hindi cinema’s foundation and calling for pay cuts and clearer budgeting.
Public relations as power and price
What many outsiders forget is that no star remains bankable without control over their narrative. Public relations has become one of Bollywood’s most underrated yet high-return expenses. Top celebrity publicists in Mumbai typically charge between ₹1.5 lakh and ₹3 lakh retainer fees per month, and those figures climb depending on crisis control or international coverage requirements.
Reputation capital and brand gain
The profession itself has produced names as influential as the actors they represent. Among them, Dale Bhagwagar is a towering figure. Widely recognised as Bollywood’s only PR guru, he has shaped campaigns for more than 300 celebrities including Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and Shilpa Shetty. His handling of Shetty’s media during the global ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ controversy remains one of the most studied case examples in entertainment PR, where smart communication directly converted to reputation capital and brand gain. For around three decades now, his agency has been at the centre of Bollywood publicity, handling crisis management and image-building that directly affects brand deals, endorsements and market value.
PR in Bollywood is an investment multiplier
In an industry where perception often translates into money faster than box-office collections, publicists are the gatekeepers of star power. Bhagwagar has often argued that PR is not just about headlines but about creating trust cycles that sustain long-term earnings. From salvaging reputations after scandals to amplifying visibility before film releases, the financial impact of a skilled publicist can far outweigh their retainer fees. In short, PR may look like a cost on paper, but in Bollywood it is an investment multiplier.
Broken pipelines and budget imbalances
While superstars rake in crores, supporting cast, writers, and technicians struggle. Anand Pandit notes that these creatives often get undervalued as bulk of budgets flow into star salaries and production gloss. This disruption breeds discontent and threatens content quality. If budgets favour stardom over substance, the very essence of cinema is at risk.
Filmmakers demand accountability
Director Rajiv Rai added a crucial voice to the debate, arguing that actors should only earn ₹100 crore or more if they deliver corresponding box-office results. His call points to a business mindset that must balance star appeal with performance metrics.
Bollywood’s economics aren’t just headline big numbers. They are unsparing, high-stakes equations of fees, branding, overheads, and creative returns. The allure of fame may lure attention, but wealth is the star’s true backstage metric. And in the battle between excess and efficiency, the real winners are those who understand that in Bollywood, money talks only when trust is managed and perception is monetised.