Raaj Kumar sat on a protest after Shatrughan Sinha claimed he was paid more; Asrani worked on daily wages of Rs 2,500

When 7 people turned up to watch Raaj Kumar, Shatrughan Sinha

Music composer and show organiser Abu Malik, who has worked with stars across generations, recalled how ego and money were issues even back then. He shared an incident from a concert he organised in Georgetown, where out of an expected 25,000 audience members, only seven people showed up.

“It was a big stadium in Georgetown — the actors were Raaj Kumar, Shatrughan Sinha, Asrani, Mamta Kulkarni, and Ayesha Jhulka. I don’t know what went wrong, maybe it wasn’t advertised properly. Only seven people were sitting in the stadium,” Abu told Vickey Lalwani.

Despite the poor turnout, it was Asrani who broke the silence and said in his trademark comic tone, “We have been paid, right? So we have to perform!” And they all went ahead with the show. However, Abu recalled another challenge from the same tour — Raaj Kumar’s protest.

“For the first show, Raaj Kumar stayed in his hotel room. I think Shatrughan Sinha must have triggered him by saying he got paid more. Raaj Kumar refused to come out as a mark of protest. I had to literally fold my hands and convince him to stand on stage so that my commitment to the audience was fulfilled.”

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While Raaj Kumar and Shatrughan Sinha commanded whatever fee they demanded, actors like Asrani were often underpaid.

Asrani, Raza Murad worked like daily wagers

“Asrani ji was a great man. Financially, he never got his due. Those days, even talented actors were paid like daily wagers — Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 a day. Things were tough. Even actors like Raza Murad and Shafi Namdar worked under those conditions. Today, actors are finally earning international-level pay, which is good, but Bollywood still hasn’t learned how to use that money wisely. The South, however, has.”

In 2024, SCREEN magazine’s investigation also highlighted the disparity. One report described how a star’s entourage once ordered a Rs 15,000 meal during a shoot — all billed to the producer — while the same production negotiated a supporting actor’s fee down from Rs 30,000 to Rs 6,000.

A supporting actor told SCREEN: “Most of the film’s budget goes to the star and their entourage. By the time they reach others, they start cost-cutting. That kills motivation and quality — and when the film flops, they act surprised.”

Raaj Kumar never touched money

Abu Malik acknowledged that even stars of yesteryear had their quirks, but with a touch of grace. “Raaj Kumar sir never touched money himself — he would say, ‘Keep it aside.’ Once I asked about his conditions, and he said, ‘I am an old man now. If I don’t specify what I eat or the car I use, they will send random things. So I have to set my own rules.’ He always spoke politely, never raised his voice.”

Still, they had their ways of expressing displeasure. Abu recalled one incident during a Dubai show: “Raaj Kumar saw Dilip Sahab’s photo on the event’s poster but not his. He wrapped that newspaper around a bottle of alcohol and sent it to the promoter’s room as a message. We had to assure him that the evening papers would feature his photo. They were gentlemen — but they had their ways.”

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Entourage demands of stars today are absurd

Having worked with stars from both eras, Abu said today’s actors are more organised but not necessarily simpler. “The younger lot is very disciplined and professional. Everything is clearly written in contracts — from cars to promotional commitments. They are very organised.” However, he added, “Some demands are justified, others aren’t.”

Abu cited filmmaker Sanjay Gupta’s recent comments about an actor with six vanity vans. “One van is for personal space — where sir sits naked,” Gupta said on Cyrus Broacha’s podcast. “Another is for makeup and hair, one for meetings, one for gym, one for food — where a chef weighs everything by the gram — and one for the staff. Star couples sometimes demand up to 11 vans and even separate kitchens.”

Abu agreed, saying, “Some of these demands are absurd. But most producers don’t have the courage to refuse because everything depends on the hero’s name. Until these stars become sensible, nothing will change.”

He concluded by contrasting Bollywood’s culture with the South: “Actors like Ram Charan and Jr NTR are billionaires, yet they remain humble and professional. They never make such crazy demands. Bollywood can learn a lot from them.”