Karan Johar and Zoya Akhtar are ace directors of Bollywood delivering meaningful and vibrant movies in Indian cinema. Recently both addressed high entourage fees costs affecting the production of a filmmaking. At a roundtable discussion of The Hollywood Reporter India, KJo raised the issue of actors demanding money more than the box office output. Zoya Akhtar who was also present blamed him for starting the trend. 

The conversation started with Karan Johar pointing at Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn’s films opening to Rs 2 crore and 3 crore. He said, “Everybody has to look at their remuneration levels.” To this Zoya interrupted saying “Karan, you just have to stop paying them.” Johar admitted paying more but stated he has stopped and recalled the time when actors demanded Rs 40 crore to star in his film titled Kill.

He said, “I don’t pay anymore. I’ve said, ‘Thank you very much, I can’t pay you’. I am not paying anyone. What were your last couple of films? How much have you opened to? What right do you have to ask me for this number? I produced a small film called Kill, I spent the money on it because it was a high-concept film with a rank newcomer. Every star that we went to asked me for the same money as the budget. When the budget is Rs 40 crore, how can you ask for Rs 40 crore? Are you guaranteeing me that the film will do Rs 120 crore? There’s no guarantee.”

In Kill, Karan Johar launched Lakshya whom he proudly calls an outsider. Talking about giving him an opportunity he mentioned Hollywood trends example. He said, “Hollywood started doing this a decade ago, when they started giving these new stars all the tent pole franchise films. They were empowered by the studios. That’s what needs to start happening here. You can take younger actors, and you can tie them in contractually and not let them do a similar franchise for another studio…”

Karan Johar produced Kill, billed as the most violent film” in association with Gunneet Monga’s Sikhya Entertainemnt. His last produced film was a comedy caper Bad Newzz starring Vicky Kaushal, Triptii Dimri and Ammy Virk. For his next venture Jigra, he collaborated with lead star Alia Bhatt’s production company Eternal Sunshine Productions.