Amit Sial Reacts to Anurag Kashyap’s Comments on Bollywood’s Rising Costs
Director Anurag Kashyap, known for his honest and bold views, recently made headlines when he criticized the Bollywood film industry for spending too much money on unnecessary things. He talked about how a large part of the film’s budget is wasted on entourage costs, which are the extra services demanded by big stars, such as fancy food, travel, and personal staff. According to Anurag, this money should be used to make the film better, not for luxuries.
Amit Sial, a talented actor known for his serious and raw roles, has now shared his thoughts on Anurag’s comments. In a recent interview with Hindi Rush, Amit said that he agrees with Anurag’s concerns but also believes filmmakers need to be practical. He said that if a director chooses to work with big stars, they should already know what to expect.
“Of course, these external costs are a problem,” Amit said. “But if a producer goes to a big star, they know how things will be. So why complain later?” He explained that it is a personal choice. If you want to work with a superstar, you have to accept their rules, including the high costs of working with them.
Amit questioned the expectations of some filmmakers who believe they can change a star’s habits. “Did you think that because you wrote a powerful script, the actor would suddenly become simple and low-cost?” he asked. “These stars deal with hundreds of people like you every day. You can’t expect them to change just for you.”
He advised filmmakers who want to make meaningful or “raw” films to work with actors who are more interested in acting than fame. According to Amit, there are many actors in the industry who are ready to work in such films without demanding luxury. “You should cast people who want to do your kind of cinema, rather than chasing big names,” he said.
Amit also talked about how the structure of the film industry has changed over the years. He said that in earlier times, films were made with small teams. But now, with the arrival of corporate systems, everything has become more complex. There are many new roles on a film set—production designers, casting directors, music teams, and more. All of this adds to the cost.
Because of this change, the entire process of filmmaking has become more expensive. And when you add the demands of top actors, the budget grows even more. Amit admitted that while it is possible to make low-budget films, such films might not sell well unless a big star is involved. “That’s the reality,” he said. “If you want to sell your film to a wider audience, you will have to work with big names. And if you do that, you must follow the rules of the game.”
He added that no one is forcing filmmakers to work with stars. “If you don’t want to deal with these things, don’t do it. Nobody has a gun to your head,” he said. Amit believes that filmmakers should make smarter choices, especially when they know what comes with hiring top-level actors.
Anurag Kashyap made his original comments about a year ago in an interview with Humans of Cinema. He said that a lot of the film’s money is wasted on things that don’t help the actual film. “It’s not a picnic,” he said. “You’re shooting in a jungle, but someone will send a car three hours away just to get a burger from a five-star hotel.”
He felt that this kind of spending was unnecessary and hurt the quality of the movie. According to Anurag, filmmaking should be about passion and creativity, not about comfort and show-off.
In the end, both Amit Sial and Anurag Kashyap seem to agree that the rising costs in Bollywood are a problem. But Amit believes that filmmakers should take responsibility for the choices they make. If you choose to work with stars, be ready to pay the price. If not, there are other ways to make good cinema with actors who are more focused on the art than on the luxuries.
Amit Sial was last seen in Raid 2, a film featuring stars like Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Vaani Kapoor, and others.
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