Kamal Haasan has shared an open letter on social media, calling for greater restraint in the film industry. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directive to the country amid the West Asia conflict,
Kamal Haasan urged filmmakers to rethink extravagant spending patterns at this time of global uncertainty. He questioned the need for romance films to be shot in expensive foreign locations such as Paris and Switzerland, when they can be shot in India instead. That said, he made it clear that any changes in cinema economics should not affect workers’ wages or working conditions. He added that the burden should not fall on those who work the hardest on film sets. Instead, he said filmmakers themselves must take responsibility by reducing wasteful spending, avoiding excessive entourage culture, and cutting down on unnecessary foreign travel.
Kamal Haasan Urges Film Industry To Avoid Wasteful Expenditure
In his letter, Kamal Haasan wrote, “The continuing crisis in West Asia is deepening, and the world is facing growing pressure on energy, trade, logistics, and economic stability. India, too, is inevitably feeling the impact of rising fuel, energy, logistics, and production costs. For the Indian film industry, this comes at a time when budgets are already escalating, and market recoveries remain uneven. Rising costs will not affect film production alone. Consumer spending patterns for entertainment may also change in the months ahead due to inflationary pressures.”
My appeal to our Industry.@ficci_india @producers_guild @tfpcin @TFPCOffl @kfpaofficial @TFCCofficial @imppa_official @federation_film @fwicemum @aifecsocial @aicwaofficial @tfapatn #SouthIndianFilmChamberOfCommerce #NorthernIndiaMotionPicturesAssociation… pic.twitter.com/24WXgYlbHN
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) May 15, 2026
“Let me be clear. Any correction in cinema economics must never come at the cost of workers’ wages, safety, dignity, food, transport, accommodation, or humane working conditions. The burden cannot fall on those who labour the hardest,” he wrote.
Kamal Haasan Urges Filmmakers To Film In India And Avoid Foreign Travel
“The correction we need is elsewhere: in avoidable waste, poor planning, inflated entourage culture, unnecessary foreign travel, production delays, and the growing disconnect between spending and purpose. Why must every love story bloom only in Paris, and every honeymoon end in Switzerland? Romance, fortunately, does not require foreign exchange. Indian cinema, and Indians, deserve a little more confidence in themselves and our beautiful country,” explained Kamal Haasan.
He then called for better shooting discipline, tighter schedules, reduced luxury and entourage expenses, limiting avoidable foreign travel, and conserving energy across studios. He said that in the film industry, extravagance is often mistaken for scale. However, some of the best films are made with clarity and discipline, instead of excess.
“This is a time for national interest over personal interest. Our industry shapes culture, influences thought, and reaches millions of people every single day; cinema carries responsibilities beyond entertainment alone. Those of us who have received the most from this industry must lead by example first. If we protect the economics of cinema today, we protect the future of cinema tomorrow,” he concluded.
