Actor turned producer Alia Bhatt talked about the subject of actors' salaries at an event hosted by the Indian Express.
When asked if the fees actors charge had seen any corrections since the pandemic (especially after several high-profile Bollywood releases flopped at the box office), Bhatt replied, "I agree that it should happen. I am not a number producer but a creative producer. But I do understand that it's the content that's bringing people to the theatres while star and star values add layers. For that aspect, it should balance out because you are not loading the budget of the film… But then, I am no one to tell anyone what they should charge, kyunki mein toh choti hun (since I'm a small player)."
She added, "In general, I am sure all the producers are thinking that some reassessment (on star fees) needs to be done. Even stars are thinking that way. Many times, an actor charges a certain fee and when the film doesn't do well, they don't charge the balance fee. They even give the money back. But we don't do PR for that. No one is fleecing anyone."
Bhatt's next release is Darlings, which is releasing on Netflix on August 5th. The film stars Bhatt, Shefali Shah and Vijay Verma in the leads.