Bollywood actor Imran Khan, who is currently making a steady return to the public eye, has sparked a heated industry debate after calling out A-list stars for “exploiting the system.” In a series of candid interviews, the Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na star criticized the current trend of actors demanding massive upfront fees, regardless of a film’s actual budget or its eventual success.
Khan didn’t hold back when breaking down the economics of modern film production. He highlighted a growing trend where a lead actor’s salary often exceeds the entire cost of making the movie itself.
“If a film costs ₹30 crore to make, and the star demands ₹40 crore as a fee, the project is already at ₹70 crore before a single frame is shot,” Khan explained. He labeled this approach “foolishness,” arguing that stars are essentially “handicapping” their own projects by removing any realistic route to profitability.
According to Khan, this “pay-me-first” attitude suggests a lack of faith in the creative work. “It’s like saying, ‘Give me my money and get out of my way, I don’t care what happens to the film,'” he remarked.
The actor contrasted this modern greed with the philosophy of his uncle, superstar Aamir Khan. He noted that previous generations of actors often took personal responsibility for a film’s success by taking “back-end” deals—meaning they only earned significant money if the movie actually performed well at the box office.
“Aamir would never say ‘Give me ₹60 crore upfront,'” Imran noted, adding that true stardom should involve “rolling the dice” alongside the producers rather than draining the budget before production begins.
These comments come at a time when Bollywood is struggling with a string of big-budget failures. Industry insiders have long whispered about the “star fee” problem, but few active actors have been as vocal as Khan. He pointed out that when a single person takes the lion’s share of the budget, the quality of the supporting cast, the technical crew, and even the script often suffers.
As Imran prepares for his full-scale acting comeback with projects like Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, his “truth-telling” phase seems to be his new brand—challenging the very industry he is re-entering to prioritize the art of filmmaking over personal enrichment. To know such latest updates tuned to tellyboosters.com Thank you!
