Piku Director Shoojit Sircar SLAMS High Star Fees; Says Directors Might Stop Casting

Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar recently made headlines for his strong views on the rising star fees and oversized entourage costs in Bollywood. In a recent interview with ANI, the Piku and October director warned that actors who demand huge paychecks may soon find themselves out of work. He believes that these unreasonable demands are harming the industry and pushing directors to stay away from big stars.

Shoojit pointed out that filmmaking should focus more on creativity than celebrity status. “I won’t comment much on entourage demands or what actors charge, but one thing is clear: stars need to lower their fees. If they don’t, directors will stop approaching them,” he said. He added, “If a director imagines a shot a certain way, invest more in that. Don’t trim the director’s vision to accommodate an actor’s paycheck."

Shoojit and his producing partner Ronnie Lahiri have always worked with limited budgets, yet delivered strong stories. “We never let costs balloon. That’s why there are fewer complaints. The actors we work with know that a Shoojit Sircar film won’t have massive budgets, but it will have heart and honesty,” he shared.

He also addressed the lack of risk-taking in the industry. According to him, many filmmakers are playing it too safe and repeating the same kind of stories. “There’s a lack of risk-taking. You can’t keep telling the same stories. Whatever the genre, you have to bring fresh, insightful ideas to the table,” he said.

Shoojit’s last film I Want To Talk, starring Abhishek Bachchan, may not have done well at the box office, but it later found appreciation on OTT platforms. “I was disoriented by its theatrical performance,” he had told NDTV, “But now that it’s on OTT, the film is finally finding its audience.”

Veteran writer Anjum Rajabali echoed Shoojit’s thoughts. He said, “You pour crores into a star, and they give you flop after flop. Big stars are out of work today because producers simply can’t afford them.”

Looks like Bollywood is finally heading toward a much-needed shift—putting stories first and stars second.