4 min readMumbaiApr 28, 2026 08:30 PM IST
In recent times, there has been growing discussion around the fees charged by stars for films, often outweighing conversations about scripts. Industry insiders note that the entourages of leading actors have significantly increased production costs, with several frontline producers publicly expressing concern about the trend. Veteran producer KC Bokadia recently shared that he was the first producer to reportedly pay Rs 1 crore to an actor for a film, and that actor was none other than Amitabh Bachchan.
‘Paid Rs 1 crore to Amitabh Bachchan’
In a chat with Live Hindustan, Bokadia recalled: “He used to take Rs 70 lakh. I was aware of that, but then he asked for Rs 80 lakh. I told him, ‘Why are you asking for Rs 80 lakh when you are our hero? Amitabh Bachchan should be paid Rs 1 crore.’ This was reported in newspapers that K. C. Bokadia was the first to pay Rs 1 crore to an actor. Later, our relationship became friendly, so he eventually took only Rs 70 lakh from me, and not even Rs 80 lakh.”
He further added that from there, a strong creative partnership developed between them, and they went on to work on films such as Lal Baadshah. He said: “We started Lal Baadshah and also began another film, but we later shelved it. However, we shared a very good relationship. Our film also became a hit. At that time, there were issues related to the Bofors scam, but despite that, our film succeeded.”
‘Actors today charge anywhere between Rs 50 to Rs 100 crore’
In the same conversation, KC Bokadia also reflected on how the industry landscape has changed drastically today, particularly regarding the growing burden of star entourages on producers: “Today, the environment is such that four to six vanity vans arrive on set, and actors charge anywhere between Rs 50 to Rs 100 crore, while also shifting the cost of makeup artists and vanity vans onto producers. Mr. Bachchan never took even a single rupee for these expenses.”
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He advised new bunch of actors: “You should focus on your films, give good scenes, meet people, and try to understand them. You are making films for India, but if you are simply copying Hollywood, then what is the point? Even now, when a film like Dhurandhar releases, my wife tells me I won’t be able to watch it, and I don’t even want to watch it because I don’t want to spoil my taste.”
Previously, filmmaker Priyadarshan also spoke about the rising cost and scale of actor entourages in an interview with Filmfare, expressing strong disapproval: “I tell you, I hate it. That’s the worst thing happening in Bollywood. Where there are four actors, there are 40–60 people with them. Because of this, I can’t even see my frame properly. They are everywhere, adjusting hair, doing nothing, many of them don’t even have hair, so what are they doing there? And I keep saying, ‘please clear the set, please clear the set.’ There is so much crowd. The paraphernalia around actors is bigger than my entire setup.”
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He further pointed out the financial imbalance this creates: “They are earning much more than many known actors, like Asrani sir and others, who used to get far less money than these people. This nuisance does not exist in the South. Even if entourages are present there, they do not enter the set unless called by the actors. Here, they just come and stand around.”
