Filmmaker Karan Johar, who often discusses the nuances of the cinema business, recently spoke about the growing demands and delusions among actors. He expressed the challenge of not being able to afford certain actors, and the necessity of having candid conversations with them about their worth in the industry.
In an interview with The Week, Karan credited his people skills to his father, the late Yash Johar, who used to say, “People need people.” He sees this lesson as crucial in business, highlighting that success ultimately hinges on interpersonal relationships. He said, “Whether it’s demand or supply, it’s all about handling fragile egos, insecure minds, complexed energies, and some delusions. That’s 80% to 90% of my job profile. 10% is talent. Everything else is people managing.”
Karan added, “Many times, I’ve taken a step back when I felt the actor is too expensive for the film. Maybe they are not realising it, but we know our business – overpaying or underpaying, both are sins that we commit.”
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The filmmaker said that he wants to pay actors fairly based on their market value, but is careful not to be taken for granted just because someone else is overpaying them.
He explained, “Many people are walking under this big cloud of delusion, and delusion is a disease with no vaccination. But not making them aware of their delusion is detrimental and counterproductive. So, you have to tell them, ‘Look, this is your trajectory, these are your films, this is how much you’ve collected in the last couple of films.’ There are massive stars who are above it all, and then there are some who believe they deserve a certain number. But on what basis exactly? You have to tell them that, tell it politely, tell it nicely, but definitely say it.”
Karan also opened up about actors and their fees, saying that it differs from actor to actor. He said, “The star deals are as per each actor individually. Some of them are stakeholders in the film, some of them have profit percentages, some of them have co-productions, so they own IP along with you. Each actor strikes a different deal depending on the film’s budget and the circumstance you’re in.”
Karan recently helmed the blockbuster film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, starring Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. The film proved to be a critical and commercial success.
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Karan Johar reveals how he tells ‘delusional’ actors they’re demanding too much money, says he is handling ‘fragile egos and insecure minds’ most of the time – The Indian Express
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