A few weeks ago when Tamil actor, producer Vijay Antony announced that he would be taking a 25% pay cut for his upcoming three releases, it worked well as a wakeup call for several celebrities in the regional industry, prompting them to think on humanitarian grounds to help producers in the wake of the global health crisis. This triggered a response from several members from the Tamil film fraternity including actors Harish Kalyan, Nasser, Aruldoss, director Hari who have promised to reduce their remuneration for their future/impending projects. However, there has been another instance where actor Sathyaraj has refused to dub for a film because producers still owe him Rs 25 lakh.
Meanwhile in the Telugu industry, where several leading figures including Chiranjeevi, Suresh Babu, Nagarjuna, Rajamouli have played a significant role in attaining shoot permissions in both the Telugu states, there has been no major star who’s agreed to take a pay cut yet (at least publicly). In an industry where remuneration of the cast and crew is often more than the amount a producer spends on the filmmaking process, it would be ideal to see a leading actor/director take a firm stance on cutting down their market price. This will not only initiate a discussion but also help producers heave a sigh of relief and lessen their burden from financiers.
The stars have immensely benefited out of the industry and this is the right time when they should show gratitude for the stardom – someone like a Mahesh Babu or a Vijay Deverakonda or a Chiranjeevi doing this would be huge and set an example for many. The directors, art directors, cinematographers should ideally play their part in using their resources efficiently and not indulge with their so-called vision in this uncertain hour. While the producers are likely to ask the stars to do it, it would be a welcoming gesture to see the biggies take the step voluntarily.
