As conversations around soaring production costs continue in Bollywood, actor-producer Tusshar Kapoor has shared his take on the growing entourage culture. Looking back at the shoot of Welcome To The Jungle, he admitted he was stunned to see nearly 50 vanity vans parked on set and questioned whether such expenses were justified.
Tusshar Kapoor on 50 vanity vans in Welcome To The Jungle
In an interview with Screen, Tusshar discussed how he felt about the per-day expenditure that was incurred on the Welcome To The Jungle sets and said, “When I would reach on set, it would take five minutes to reach our vanity van because we had to go through this huge line of vans. I used to just look at these vans and wonder what would be the daily cost for so many vans, and everyone’s staff. Is it really worth taking so many actors? I used to wonder that while Ahmed has a vision, he is bringing a new genre which was never attempted in India, but is it really justified having so many actors and doing so much kharcha? Ahmed was adamant that he needed everybody in every shot. There was a one-year gap in shooting Welcome. When the film resumed, he never thought to just shoot with actors available on set. He stuck to his guns and finished the film.”
Tusshar further urged that a balance should be created amid the growing entorage cost of the actors and said, “There has to be a balance. Some of that cost, even if it feels a little excessive, is required. You need your hairstylist, your makeup man. You need some perks. Going by the stress a leading actor or actress goes through, you need some comfort, space, and luxury to actually bring your best out. This is a visual medium, so to bring that beauty across, you need some kharcha and pampering. It’s fine. But there is a limit. It shouldn’t go beyond the basic requirement of vanity to a point where it becomes narcissism. It should not be done to satisfy your ego. That’s not good.”
In the same conversation, Tusshar said that while some production houses provide directors with all the resources they need and the investment is reflected on screen, such spending is justified. However, he added that when expenses are driven by “megalomania” rather than creative requirements, leaving producers to bear unnecessary financial losses, they need to be reduced. He emphasised that there has to be a balance between creative needs and responsible spending.
Tusshar Kapoor’s recent and upcoming movie
Tusshar was last seen in the movie Welcome To The Jungle. Helmed by Ahmed Khan, the film also stars Akshay Kumar, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty and others in key roles. The film received mixed reviews from the critics and audience and has collected only ₹192 crore worldwide at the box office and ₹133 crore at the domestic box office.