Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 4 (ANI): Veteran filmmaker KC Bokadia has praised the professionalism of superstars Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Rajinikanth, recalling how they never expected producers to bear the expenses of their personal staff.
Highlighting the changing work culture in the film industry, Bokadia said that actors should be mindful of production costs and remember that a film’s financial well-being is equally important.
In an interview with ANI, Bokadia reflected on how the working environment on film sets has evolved over the years. Recalling a time when actors would often sit together and share meals between shots, he observed that the culture has gradually shifted, with artistes now preferring to spend their breaks in their vanity vans.
Sharing an anecdote about Jackie Shroff’s approach to working arrangements during a shoot in Chennai (then Madras), Bokadia recalled how he once intervened after noticing that the actor had been provided with a double room instead of a suite.
However, Jackie was not particularly concerned about the arrangement.
Recalling his response, Bokadia said, “Mr Bokadia, you don’t have to play cricket. It has a good bathroom. It’s going well. We’ll shoot all day and come at night.”
The filmmaker suggested that such an attitude reflected the practical and accommodating approach of actors during those days.
Bokadia then highlighted the professionalism of megastar Amitabh Bachchan, superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Rajinikanth, particularly when it came to expenses related to their personal staff.
“Amitabh Bachchan never took the salary of his staff. Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Rajinikanth, all of them… They never made producers pay their staff,” he said, emphasising that producers should not be burdened with expenses that artistes can manage themselves.
He also expressed concern over the growing expenditure on vanity vans and additional staff during film shoots. According to Bokadia, some actors now expect multiple vanity vans equipped with facilities such as gyms, adding to the financial pressure on producers.
Questioning the economics of such arrangements, he pointed out that the cumulative expenses of maintaining several vans and staff members can significantly increase a film’s daily production costs.
Bokadia also urged actors to understand the financial responsibilities of producers, stressing that filmmaking is a business in which every stakeholder has a role to play.
“We come and say, have mercy on the producer. Otherwise, such a day will come, the ones who will give four shoulders will also have to bring it on rent,” he remarked, making an appeal for greater sensitivity towards the people financing films.
Emphasising the need for mutual respect and responsibility, he added, “This is a business. The actors should also think: it is a business. If the producer is alive, then we will also be alive.”
He further reflected on the short span of life and encouraged people in the industry to remain grounded and considerate towards others.
A veteran name in Hindi cinema, KC Bokadia has spent more than five decades in the film industry as a producer, director and screenwriter. Having produced and directed over 60 films, he has worked with several leading stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Rajinikanth.
His notable films include Teri Meherbaniyan, Pyar Jhukta Nahin and Lal Baadshah. He made his production debut with Rivaaj in 1972 and his directorial debut with Aaj Ka Arjun in 1990. (ANI)
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