Actor Samir Soni has hit back at filmmakers Karan Johar and Farah Khan's recent comments on rising entourage cost, saying that filmmakers also need to take responsibility for burgeoning budgets. In a recent interview with Ujjwal Trivedi on his YouTube channel, Samir responded to KJo's statement that actors are asking for "the sun, moon and earth". Samir Soni, who has been a part of the industry for over two decades, said, "You can't be signing a big star for Rs 100 crore and then say that these guys take a lot of money. Kuch kami toh aap mein bhi hai [There are some shortcomings in you, too].”
Samir Soni's comments come after Karan Johar, in an interaction with journalist Faye D'Souza, said last month that the cost of filmmaking has increased. KJo said, “There has been inflation.There are about 10 viable actors in Hindi cinema, and they are all asking for the sun, moon and earth. So, you pay them; then you pay for the film, and then the marketing expenditure comes. And then your film doesn't do the numbers. Those movie stars asking for Rs 35 crore are opening to Rs 3.5 crore. How's that math working?"
Samir Soni disagrees, pointing out that there are actors who are willing to work for lower remuneration. "There are people who will work for Rs 1 crore and Rs 50 lakh also. You've done this!" he asserted.
Earlier, in May 2024, filmmaker Farah Khan also spoke about the entourage costs, calling it a "waste of resources." "I think bahot zyada entourage cost ho gaya hai. Ek actress 9 jan saath mein leke aate hain. Ek actor 8 jan leke aata hai. That is a waste of resources. Woh film mein dikhta nahi hai. Woh cost. Toh I think that needs to be controlled a bit. Producers pe bahut bhari padta hain [An actress brings 9 people, an actor gets 8 people. That does not show on the film. It weighs down on the producers]," Farah said during her appearance at Chinki Minki's YouTube video titled Twin Encounter.
Farah Khan also shared her experiences with actors' demands, including the requirement for multiple vanity vans. She added, "Earlier, heroines would change behind trees, we would hold towels for them. Now, each actor has about four vans for themselves. One person. One is for their gym, one is for their staff, one is for them, one is... then the food truck comes, that's separate."