In a recent podcast appearance, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta expressed frustration over the rising trend of unreasonable demands made by some of today’s younger actors. One of the most concerning, he noted, is the request for up to six vanity vans per actor on set which come with their own separate staff — a growing burden for producers. On the contrary he also said industry veterans like Amitabh Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan manage with just one makeup artist and one spot boy.
Sanjay continues talking about how these recently rising actors have mandatory at least 6 vanity vans which they use for different purposes with each having their own staff. He added saying, “This is real; I’m very serious. The first van is his personal space. Wahan saab nanga baithte hain (In one van, sir sits naked). Next to that is sir’s other van, where he does his makeup and hair. Then, there is the van where sir holds his meetings. The fourth van is his gym, where sir works out.”
He also revealed that several actors have been dropped from projects, particularly in South India after producers discovered how their excessive demands were straining production budgets.
Sanjay didn’t take any names but said, “I’ll tell you something very funny. This particular actor signed a film down south. He went for the shoot, and they went to the location, which is a studio. And suddenly, the producer finds that there are these six vans from Bombay, and he’s like, ‘Boss, I didn’t hire six actors’. See, to a certain level, you indulge. Fine. But then he was told, ‘Yeh saab ka vans hai, aur yeh raato raat Bombay se aaya hai, aapka ek din bach gaya' (These are sir’s vans, and they’ve been brought in overnight from Mumbai, so you saved a day).”
Sanjay isn’t alone in calling out the new wave of actors for their over-the-top demands. Filmmakers like Rakesh Roshan and Farah Khan have echoed similar concerns. Farah, during an episode of her cooking show, spoke candidly about actors insisting on having six vanity vans, along with personal chefs on set to cater to their every need.
On the contrary, veteran superstar Amitabh Bachchan is known for his humility and professionalism. He refuses to let producers cover the cost of his personal staff including cooks and makeup personnel, believing it to be his own responsibility, not the production's.
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