Veteran filmmaker and producer KC Bokadia has praised several of India’s biggest film stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Jackie Shroff and Rajinikanth, for being considerate towards producers and avoiding additional expenses during film shoots.

According to NDTV, in an interview with ANI, Bokadia said these actors did not expect producers to cover the salaries of their personal staff, helping keep production costs under control.

“Amitabh Bachchan never took the salary of his staff. Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Rajinikanth, all of them. They never made producers pay their staff,” he said.

Bokadia also recalled that senior actors often shared meals with crew members and interacted with them without making distinctions based on their positions.

Citing an example involving Jackie Shroff during a shoot in Chennai, the filmmaker said the actor was given a double room instead of a suite. Although Bokadia felt Shroff deserved better accommodation, the actor reportedly said the room was sufficient because it had a proper bathroom and the necessary facilities. Since he would spend most of his time shooting and return only to sleep, he saw no need for a larger room.

Bokadia contrasted these experiences with what he described as the rising costs of actors’ entourages and accommodation demands in the film industry today. He urged actors to consider the financial pressure on producers, stressing that filmmaking is a business and that the industry depends on producers remaining financially viable.

The filmmaker also shared an anecdote about Shah Rukh Khan’s fee for ‘Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam’, which Bokadia produced. According to him, Khan had agreed to a fee of Rs 2 crore and received Rs 1.05 crore, leaving Rs 95 lakh unpaid.

Bokadia claimed that Khan later told his son he did not want the outstanding amount because of his respect for the filmmaker. The actor reportedly made it clear that the decision was his own.

Years later, Bokadia said he met Khan at Empire Studio and brought up the unpaid amount. However, according to the producer, Khan was reluctant to discuss the matter and indicated that there was no need to revisit it.

Source: NDTV