Filmmaker Karan Johar has recently appeared in Producers Adda 2021, where he was present with other filmmakers like Zoya Akhtar, Nikkhil Advani, Reema Kagti, and Sameer Nair, in the event they all addressed the topic of remuneration in the film industry and how it affects the budget of the movie.
In which Karan Johar expressed his anger on newer stars who demand hefty amounts of money for their remuneration, he said "I am so fed up. I have seen the prices of actors rise through the worst period of cinema for no reason. They hadn't had a release, their last release was a failure, their films have not taken off, and yet they are just [rising their prices] because they are riding on the digital money. They have gone beyond deluded. And we all have to just suck it up and work with them because this is what we do."
He continued, "They don't understand. Because in the climate that we are in, nobody is taking theatrical backends. You are taking a percentage of profit instead, which you can offer as well. Striking those deals with megastars make sense. What I am not understanding is that there is a younger order that is yet to prove their muscle at the box office. But instantly, you hear [them asking for] 25-35 crores. What are these numbers?"
He also praised the technical team and said he would pay more money to them as they make the film more special, the director quoted "I would rather pay top dollar and much more to members of the technical crew who really, really make your film special. There are editors who have saved films. There are cinematographers who have uplifted films."
He further said "I'm like, 'Why am I paying this actor over Rs. 15 crores and I am paying my editor, Rs. 55 lakhs? It's not making any sense to me.' But that's just become the market norm. And then there are certain editors, writers, cinematographers, and lead technicians who have upped their numbers, and more power to them. If they are delivering, they must be paid. Even in our own production house, I feel the mindset is like: 'Why are we paying the writer so much?' How dare you say that? The film is good because of the writing. It's not good because an actor comes and does their job. Of course, they'll do their job well but the fulcrum of the film lies in its narrative."