Kamal Haasan's blunt advice to Tamil producers: 'If you want a superstar like Rajinikanth, then pay him'
Kamal Haasan advised producers to bring in more new actors and cast them in movies if the salaries of superstars were too high. However, he refused to be guilt-tripped for being one of the top-paid stars.
Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth.
The Tamil film industry has been going through a rough phase in the last few years. Producers have been trying to find ways to reduce the production costs of making movies, including the high upfront salaries that stars in the Tamil film industry demand. Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan, one of the highest-paid movie stars in India, has waded into the debate with a rather blunt response.
Kamal advised producers to bring in more new actors and cast them in movies if the salaries of superstars were too high. However, he refused to be guilt-tripped for being one of the top-paid stars.
"I come from Mr. Balachander's school. So don't pay these actors so much if you don't want them; find new ones," Kamal told Showsha.
The late legendary director Balachander is known for introducing a number of new actors who have gone on to redefine the image of Tamil cinema globally. Kamal and Superstar Rajinikanth are among the careers that were launched by Balachander.
Kamal seems to imply that Balachander relied solely on his storytelling prowess to draw audiences to theatres and didn’t need stars to sell tickets for his movies. Similarly, he seems to be challenging the film producers, who are complaining about the high salaries of the stars, to make movies that don't need a star to run well in theatres.
"You want a superstar like Rajinikanth? Then pay him. If you don't want him and can't afford him, don't. It's as simple as that. Because sometimes, both Mr. Rajini and I are looking for good scripts, not good payment. Whatever amount of money you wave at us will not convince us. It's the good script and the hope that it will work for us," he added.
At the moment, Kamal Haasan is busy promoting his upcoming movie, Indian 2. Written and directed by Shankar, the film is a sequel to his 1996 movie Indian. The film will hit the screens on July 12.
Updated: June 29, 2024 03:49 PM IST
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