Media365
The business of cinema has evolved over the years, and so has the way actors approach their projects. In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai, who once enjoyed a reputation for drawing audiences to theatres on the strength of his name alone, reflected on how actors today prioritise money over their craft. He also explained why stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn continue to remain relevant.
Sharing that actors today prioritise money over art, Subhash Ghai said, “Commerce has taken over. Today, the children want to earn more money, and it’s less about the art. During our time, the actors wanted to be artistes, and thought money will eventually come. Nobody would wait for the money. They would sign a film based on the director, the story and the character. Most of the stars in my movies have taken only 40 per cent of the price because they were interested in the character and the story.”
The filmmaker pointed out that actors today have several sources of income beyond films, and also highlighted the role of managers and PR teams in an actor’s career. “Today, if you ask any actor to take only 40 per cent fees, four of their managers will intervene, and 3 PRs will come in together to endorse the actor as a celebrity. Today, there are various other means of earning for actors rather than just movies. But again, they are seasonal; the craze dies down after 3-4 years. Then they are out of the picture, and somebody else walks in.”
However, Subhash Ghai shared that the actors who are dedicated to their craft can have a lasting career. He cited examples of how Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn continued to work for nearly 40 years. Ghai said, “Yes, times have changed, business has changed, and its model has also changed. Today, there is Shah Rukh, Aamir, Salman, Ajay, who are actors for the past 40 years because they are dedicated actors from the olden times. They know that other factors are all residual and do not prioritise anyone or anything above their shoot or scenes. The young generation says, ‘Oh, we’ve received so much money; we’ll take a big car.’ This is a slight issue, but with time, they will also understand.”
Watch the video interview here:
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Subhash Ghai recalls Dilip Kumar’s advice
Beyond discussing the changing priorities of actors, Subhash Ghai also recalled the valuable career advice he received from late actor Dilip Kumar, whom he considered an elder brother. Ghai said, “Dilip Kumar worked in three of my films – Vidhaata, Karma and Saudagar. He was like my elder brother. He would advise me on how to work with dignity in the industry. So, I went to him with two proposals, saying, ‘I have 25 years of experience. Should I open a film studio like Guru Dutt, Raj Kamal, Raj Kapoor or a film school?’ So, Dilip saab told me, ‘You explain very well, and you come from FTII, so you should open a film institute.’”
Lastly, the filmmaker explained why cinema will continue to hold its own despite the growing popularity of OTT platforms. Citing Dharmendra‘s long career, he pointed out that the actor remained a major draw in theatres for decades. “Dharmendra was not an OTT actor. He ran cinema for 40-50 years. Just like him like there were other actors like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, among many other great actors.”
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Elaborating on the importance of the big-screen experience, Ghai recalled bringing together legendary actors Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar for Saudagar. He said, “Because of big screen. I can’t make Saudagar as a microdrama. That’s why the thought should be big, the frames should be big, location should be big, and characters should be larger than life.”
