For some time now, a debate about the high entourage costs of Bollywood actors has been making headlines. Amid all this, actor Saurabh Shukla has also shared his thoughts on the issue, revealing that the late,
legendary actor Amrish Puri had no entourage at all.
In a recent interview, Shukla revealed that Amrish Puri had no staff other than a make-up person. “At that time, it was enough for me that I was cast in a film. It was a big film and with a big cast — Anil Kapoor, Amrish Puri. It was a good experience. We enjoyed a lot working on the film. It was also the first time I met Amrish Puri sahab. I met him at a time in my life when I would look at stars from a distance, and what we understood from being a star was that they carry an entourage with them,” he told ANI.
Shukla further explained what Puri’s approach towards work and added, “But on the set of the film, I got to know… by the way, Amrish Puri used to charge one rupee more than the lead actor in his films. This shows he was such a big star but he didn’t have a secretary and he didn’t have a driver. He had just a make-up man, that’s all. I asked him, ‘Don’t you have a staff?’ He responded, ‘Main pagal hoon kya? Paise main kamao aur banta rahoon staff mein (Am I mad that I earn all my money and distribute it to the staff). That is the reason I have come to this interview driving my own car, and I don’t go with an entourage.’”
Karan Johar Calls Entourage Cost An ‘Ethical’ Issue
This comes days after Karan Johar also expressed concerns regarding actors’ high entourage. The filmmaker explained that it is not a financial issue but an “ethical” one. He expressed that the issue needs attention because actors also need to show some grace now.
“I have an ethical problem with entourages, not a financial one. We set a fixed budget for such needs. But if an actor wants anything beyond that, be it a personal trainer or specific dietary requirements, they should cover the cost themselves. I will pay for it only when it’s essential for the film, like in a sports drama requiring a certain physique,” KJo told Komal Nahta on his YouTube channel Game Changer.
Karan argued that as an actor, it is one’s job to look good and therefore, he does not understand when people expect producers to pay for their trainer or healthy food. He also explained that there is a need for producers to unite and take a firm decision regarding the high entourage issue.
