Director Anil Sharma has joined the growing list of industry insiders who have voiced their opinion on the ongoing debate around inflated costs for actors’ entourages. “Actors have the audacity to increase their entourage costs at a time when their films aren’t even working in theatres. Actors ki itni value hi nahi reh gayi ab ki public unko dekhne aaye,” says Sharma who delivered the 2023 blockbuster hit Gadar 2.
Sharma notes that there are very few actors left “who still have value and the pull” to draw the audiences to come and watch a film in theatres. Citing the Southern film industry as an example that still “gets a houseful 4-5 days in advance”, Sharma says, “Gone are those times when we (Hindi film industry) used to make films with Dharmendra and many others, with tickets getting booked a week in advance. It doesn’t happen now.” He continues, “The public is not coming to see you in theatres. OTT par aapko majboori mein dekhti hain, woh bhi 25 mein se 2 films dekh li toh dekh li. You don’t even know if your film is a flop or hit. You put a mark on it on your own and live in your own world.”
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Furthermore, Sharma does not hesitate to criticise the current generation of actors for the deteriorating state of the industry, observing that ‘Actors these days are working only for social media”. “Either they are earning from Instagram or advertising, cinema se unko kuch nahi mil raha kyunki unko public dekhne hi nahi aarahi. It is the bitter truth,” he says, adding, “Apart from 3-4 heroes in Mumbai, no one has the power to get a housefull even on a Saturday or Sunday,” the 66-year-old tells us.
Sharma also highlights a significant issue he sees in the Bollywood industry: a lack of substantive content from certain filmmakers. He notes, “Content plays a very important role. I feel that many directors, writers, and actors haven’t even seen the world beyond Versova and Bandra. Hence, they don’t even know what kind of content works in India,” he says, adding, “Content ke naam par unko bas samajh agaya hain ki urban and OTT ke liye kya chalta hain. Samajh wahin tak limited hain toh wahi content banaate hain.”
Additionally, Sharma points to the overexposure of actors as a factor contributing to the current slump at the box office. “Secondly, the charm of actors is also diminishing. I am seeing every actor all the time on social media in gym and airport looks. Why would the public pay to see them in theatres. They are overexposed! Actors ko dekhne ka charm khatam kardiya hai paparazzi culture ne. They might get ads or brands on social media because of that, but the theatrical exclusivity is finished,” he says.
He contrasts this with the South Indian film industry, where actors like Jr NTR, Ram Charan and Prabhas manage to maintain their allure. “If you look at the South industry, the actors have maintained their charm. People are excited to see them in theatres. Kabhi content acha aa jaaye and actor bada na ho toh bhi picture chal jaati hai ab,” Sharma notes, adding, “If the content is good and the actor is also at par, then the film can even be a blockbuster. Right now, there is neither content nor hero, bas kharche mil rahe hain inke aur kuch nahi.”
