Bollywood Stars' Lavish Entourages Burden Film Productions

According to a recent report, the extravagant entourages of Bollywood actors have become a significant problem for film productions. Many producers feel these large entourages are unnecessary and add to the overall costs.

Veteran lyricist and actor Piyush Pandey has shared his thoughts on this issue, drawing a stark contrast with the work culture in the South Indian film industry. Pandey notes that South Indian stars do not carry the same weight of stardom on their shoulders, often traveling with just a few assistants and bodyguards, unlike several Hindi film actors who move around with an army of people.

"People live in hangups, they have a lot of tantrums. Their entourage is so long. Almost 8-9 people will come with them, they will walk with at least 12 bodyguards but why do you need these many bodyguards? You are a single person. Who is coming to kill you?" Pandey said in a recent interview.

However, Pandey praised Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor for his humble behavior, despite his superstar status. "Ranbir ghazab hai. He doesn't have any tantrums because he knows he's such a big star. He has no hangups. He is my favourite actor," Pandey shared, adding that he has never witnessed Ranbir behaving unreasonably.

The issue of extravagant entourages has been highlighted by other industry insiders as well, with directors Sanjay Gupta and Anurag Kashyap also speaking about the excessive demands and lifestyle of some stars, which can significantly inflate production budgets.