Recently a major filmmaker known for his big blockbusters, came reeling back from a visit to Akshay Kumar.
“I wanted to offer him an interesting role in a film that I’m producing. It was nothing like anything that he has done so far.But when I heard his price—165 crores—I backed off. It is unbelievable! The actor cannot see the writing on the wall even though it stares at him. Maybe it’s time he got himself reading glasses. While he is at it, he should also give his career a reality check,” the irate producer-director is upset with the star-actor whose most recent release Bade Miyan Chote Miyan underperformed severely at the boxoffice.
The seething filmmaker blames the producers who shells out these unbelievable amounts to stars. “Akshay should realize the stars system is dead. If producers are still eager to carry the deadweight of the star system , then what can we say about their short sightedness?Those producers who still pay him(Akshay) what he charged in his heydays are to blame for the current shoddy state of our film industry.”
Is this filmmaker referring to Vashu Bhagnani?
“I am not taking any names. But there is a producer with whom Akshay has done 6-7 back-to-back flops. I have heard they are still paying him the same amount(165 crores). Blind devotion to a rapidly evaporating star system is bringing the industry to its knees. There are no superstars any more . Vinod Chopra has made a blockbuster with a supporting actor(Vikrant Massey , 12th Fail). Srikanth which is doing well has Rajkummar Rao , a non-mainstream actor, in the lead,” the filmmaker observes, not unjustly.