Javed Akhtar is popular for vocalizing his thoughts even if it might create controversy. The veteran lyricist-writer has now joined the discussion over actors' high entourage cost in filmmaking. Recently, the rise in the costs of the entourage of the stars - from their hairdressers, make-up artists, and fitness trainers - has been the most talked about subject in the industry. Many directors and producers have expressed their disappointment over high costs when they are making no profits at the box office. Now Javed Akhtar has slammed the actors charging high fees including their staff charges. 

Javed Akhtar criticized the new generation actors for unreasonable demands. During his appearance on Sapan Verma’s comedy show Chill Sesh, he highlighted that hairstylists nowadays charge at least Rs 75,000 per day. Jokingly he expressed he might have become a hairstylist had he known this earlier. 

The writer said, “I’ve heard more about it now, than before. They need three vans, they exercise in one van, food gets prepared in another, in the third van they sit and eat, something like this is happening. They bring 18-19 staff members, one of them keeps fixing their hair and they get Rs 75,000 per day. If we had known then we would have learned the same work.” 

Recalling the time when hee was in filmmaking, Akhtar added, “All this happens now. Back then, people were irregular, disciplined, they used to come late, but it’s too much now. Today, you have huge money, but there was no such money back then. This is not my experience, today I am not making a film."

Recently Javed Akhtar was seen in Amazon Prime Video documentary Angry Young Men which chronicled the struggles, challenges, and journey of him and his co-writer Salim popularly known as Salim Javed.