Ahaan Panday deserves Rs 100 crore as his fees, says Gupt director Rajiv Rai: ‘An actor must recover his fees in first 3 days of the film’s release’

Rajiv Rai offers a sharp critique of how corporate production houses and producers have created a market where actors can command astronomical amounts without any direct accountability.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | July 28, 2025 21:38 IST

Rajiv Rai says Ahaan Panday deserves Rs 100 crore as his fees for Saiyaara.

The conversation around star fees has taken center stage in Bollywood yet again. As members of the industry raise concerns about ballooning actor salaries, filmmaker Rajiv Rai, best known for Kajol-starrer Gupt, has weighed in on the topic, placing the blame squarely on producers for encouraging this trend.

In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, Rai offered a sharp critique of how corporate production houses and producers have created a market where actors can command astronomical amounts without any direct accountability. “I would blame the producers because they are willing to pay. An actor can even quote Rs 1,000 crore. It’s basic demand and supply. Since there’s more money in the market now, everyone’s chasing glamour over substance,” Rai said.

He added that major studios often bet on star power rather than content. “They think audiences will show up just because a certain actor is in the film. But glamour doesn’t sell alone. They don’t even bother to look closely at the script.”

Rajiv Rai illustrated his point with a striking analogy. He said, “There might be lakhs of fans gathered outside a star’s home, but these same people won’t buy tickets to see their film. They’re not loyal. They won’t open their wallet unless the content connects.”

The veteran filmmaker strongly believes that a star’s salary should be directly tied to the film’s box office performance. “Here’s how I calculate an actor’s fee: whatever I pay them, they must recover for me on Day 1. If I want to be generous, I’ll give them three days. If I’ve paid Rs 100 crore to an actor, then the film must make that back within three days of release. That’s when they truly deserve the money.”

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He even joked that Ahaan Panday deserves Rs 100 crore, if he can bring in that amount in the opening days. “So, when someone comes to me and asks for ₹10 crore, I simply say: I’ll give you my first day’s collection.”

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Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda’s film Saiyaara is enjoying a stellar box office run. It opened with Rs 21.5 crore on Day 1, followed by Rs 26 crore on Day 2 and Rs 35.75 crore on Day 3, bringing the total India net collection to Rs 83 crore in its opening weekend. The film crossed the Rs 100 crore mark worldwide within just three days, and in ten days, Saiyaara had amassed Rs 250 crore in India alone.

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