The extravagant entourages of movie stars have been making headlines ever since the pandemic. While celebrities travelling with large teams wasn’t a new phenomenon, the conversation around it intensified after the pandemic, when several big-budget films began underperforming at the box office. As producers struggled to recover investments running into hundreds of crores, attention shifted to how these massive budgets were being spent. Industry insiders began questioning how much of a film’s budget actually went into production and how much was spent on star salaries and their lavish demands. Reports of spot boys earning thousands of rupees per day, actors asking for multiple vanity vans—one for a gym, another with a live kitchen—and other expensive requirements became increasingly common.The stark difference between a film’s production cost and its overall budget was highlighted recently when the makers of Chiranjeevi’s Mana Shankara Varu Prasad Garu revealed that the film’s actual production cost was only around Rs 25 crore despite having a reported budget of Rs 200 crore. Of that, over Rs 75 crore reportedly went towards Chiranjeevi’s remuneration.‘Money spent on bottled waters can alone produce a small budget film’Over the years, several producers and filmmakers have spoken about the financial burden of maintaining such star entourages. Now, veteran actor Sudhir Pandey has shared his own experiences, speaking about the stark contrast between how stars and character actors are treated on film sets. He even claimed that the money spent on bottled water alone during a shoot could be enough to finance a small-budget film.Speaking to Siddharth Kanan, Pandey said character actors rarely receive vanity vans comparable to those allotted to leading stars. “It is very rare for character actors like us to get a large vanity van. Usually, we are given a small one. Stars who arrive with an entire convoy look very fake and made-up. It feels like a waste of money. If they are spending from their own pocket, that’s different. But if producers are paying for it, then it is simply a waste. The amount of money wasted there is enough for someone to make a small-budget film.” He further added, “You won’t believe it, but the amount spent on Bisleri water alone can be enough to make a small-budget film.”‘I don’t have a team’Asked whether he himself travels with a team, Pandey clarified that he does not. “I don’t have a team. There was one time when I was unwell and had to take my meals and medicines on time, so I kept a boy with me to help. I pay him myself. A couple of producers did offer to bear the expense, but I always told them that if they couldn’t, I would pay for it. That has never been an issue.”When asked how he feels about the apparent disparity between stars and supporting actors, Pandey said he has accepted it as part of the industry’s culture. “You can’t do anything about it. It is part of this futile culture—I use the word ‘futile’ deliberately. We claim to be democratic, but we are far from it. Whoever reaches a position of power in any field starts dictating terms, and people simply follow. You can’t challenge them.”When Aamir Khan slammed the new-generation starsPreviously, Aamir Khan, one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, had also strongly criticised this growing culture of extravagant entourages and producer-funded personal expenses. Speaking to trade analyst Komal Nahta on his YouTube show Game Changers, Aamir said, “Stars deserve respect, but not to the extent that they start troubling producers.” Recalling the early days of his career nearly 37 years ago, the actor revealed that he was surprised to learn producers were expected to bear the cost of a star’s personal staff.Story continues below this adALSO READ | ‘We don’t care about you’: The Vijay Anand-Vyjayanthimala feud that almost derailed Jewel Thief “There was a system where the producer would pay for the star’s driver and helper on set. I found it very strange. I thought, ‘The driver and helper work for me, so why is the producer paying them?’ If the producer is paying for my personal staff, does that mean he should also pay my children’s school fees? Where does it stop?”Aamir said he drew a clear line from the very beginning of his career.“I believe producers should only spend on things genuinely required for the film—makeup, hair, costumes. But how are my personal driver or helper contributing to the film? They work for me, so it is my responsibility to pay them, especially when I am earning well. From day one, I made it clear that none of my producers would pay for my driver or helper. It has been 37 years now.”Story continues below this ad‘Where are you spending all the money you are earning?’The actor also criticised what he described as a growing trend among the younger generation of stars.“I hear that stars today don’t even pay their own drivers and instead ask producers to bear the cost. It doesn’t stop there. Producers are paying for their spot boys, trainers and cooks as well. I’ve even heard that actors now have live kitchens on set and expect producers to foot the bill. They also demand multiple vanity vans—for kitchens, gyms and other purposes.”Questioning the practice, Aamir added: “Where are you spending all the money you’re earning? These stars are making crores and still aren’t capable of paying for their own needs? I find it extremely strange. It is very sad and harmful for the industry. I say this very strongly—it is a shame that even today there are actors who are being unfair to their producers and their films. When you can afford a certain lifestyle, why are you making the producer pay for it? Why should a producer provide you with six vanity vans when all you need is one for makeup?”