Zoya Akhtar calls on Karan Johar to rethink hefty paychecks for male actors. Deets Inside

The skyrocketing salaries of Bollywood’s leading male actors have become a growing concern, especially following the underwhelming box office performances of films led by A-listers like Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn, with some opening collections as low as ₹3-4 crores. During a recent roundtable hosted by The Hollywood Reporter India, filmmakers Karan Johar and Zoya Akhtar addressed the issue. Karan Johar stressed the need for male stars to reconsider their hefty fees, while Zoya Akhtar added that more budget should be allocated to the technical crew, as male leads often consume around 70% of the film’s budget.

Zoya Akhtar advocates for better pay for the technical crew by saying "They are not going to know. But Karan, you have to just stop paying. You have to stop paying. That’s it".

Karan Johar revealed that he has ceased paying exorbitant fees to male stars, stating, "I've stopped doing that now" . He further added 

What is your last couple of films? How much have you opened to? With what right are you asking me for this number? I made a small film called Kill. I put the money in it because it was a high-concept film with a rank newcomer as the face of it. Because I’ve started doing it. It was a high-concept action film. You could not make Kill in any other way. It had to be in that train. Every star asked me for the same money that the budget was for. I was like, ‘How can I pay you? When the budget is ₹40 crore, you’re asking for ₹40 crore? Are you guaranteeing the film will do ₹120 crore? There’s no guarantee, right? So finally, I took a new boy, and he was an ‘outsider,’ I have to say it

- Karan Johar

Karan Johar highlighted that the industry has only a handful of bankable male actors, around six, while over 200 films are produced annually. He stressed the need for producers to nurture and empower emerging talent. Johar also voiced frustration with younger actors demanding high fees, up to ₹40 crores, without being willing to take bold risks in their roles.