Manoj Bajpayee reveals he doesn’t get ‘Shah Rukh, Salman-type fees’ for The Family Man: ‘OTT platforms only pay big stars, Hollywood actors’

In a recent interview, Manoj Bajpayee spoke about being underpaid for The Family Man, and suggested that the same platform would spend exorbitant amounts on white actors.

By: Entertainment Desk

Mumbai | June 18, 2023 03:18 PM IST

4 min read

Manoj Bajpayee plays undercover agent Srikant Tiwari in The Family Man.

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If you thought that Manoj Bajpayee’s fortunes had changed after the success of his Prime Video show The Family Man, you are in for a surprise. The actor has revealed that, contrary to popular opinion, he was quite ‘underpaid’ by the platform. He admitted that his fees for the show did not match Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan’s remuneration, or that of any other big star.

In an appearance on the Unfiltered by Samdish YouTube channel, the actor was asked about his bank balance. With a laugh, he said that it isn’t possible to be rich by doing films like Bhosle and Gali Guleiyan. When the interviewer pointed out that he stars in the ‘world’s biggest show’, Manoj said that he still isn’t paid enough. When asked if he gets a ‘Salman Khan or Shah Rukh Khan-type fees’ for The Family Man, he dismissed the suggestion, and said, “Yeh OTT wale regular producer se kam nahi hai (OTT platforms are just as bad as regular producers). They will pay big stars. I did not get the kind of money I should have for The Family Man.”

The actor then made a rather shocking revelation, sharing how the same platform would go all out if they had a Hollywood star. “Gora aayega, show karega to de denge (If a white actor does the show, they will pay). Brands have factories in China because there is cheap labour. Similarly, I am the cheap labour here,” he laughed. The actor added that Jack Ryan (John Krasinski) would have been paid ‘bhar bhar’ ke.

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Coming to The Family Man, in an earlier chat with indianexpress.com, Manoj Bajpayee had shared how his wife had asked him not to do the show. He shared how he was busy making notes for the series and had refused to take new work. “That became an issue with my wife (actor Shabana). She thought I was doing some kind of a serial and ask me what is this OTT. I told her that it’s different and she was like, ‘What is the need of money? Why are you ruining your career? Sab accha khasa chal raha hai. Sab khatam kar doge (Everything is going well, why do you want to ruin it). I told her how shows like Narcos have become popular. ‘But eventually it’s a serial only na?’ she would tell me. I think she didn’t realise the strength and potential of OTT till she saw the first season of The Family Man,” he shared.

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Created by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, The Family Man launched in 2019 on Amazon Prime Video. The show is about Srikant Tiwari, a world-class spy, who has to fight to save his country while protecting his family from the impact of his secretive, high-pressure and low-paying job. The show also stars Priyamani, Sharad Kelkar, Shreya Dhanwantary, Sharib Hashmi among others. While the first season had Neeeraj Madhav playing the antagonist, Samantha Prabhu Ruth made her digital debut with The Family Man Season 2.

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