Latest news with #RajivRai
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Gupt director Rajiv Rai explains why Ahaan Panday deserves ₹100 crore fees for Saiyaara
Ahaan Panday's debut performance in Saiyaara has taken the industry by storm, earning praise not just from audiences but also from critics. In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, filmmaker Rajiv Rai, known for cult classics like Mohra and Gupt, recently said that Ahaan's work in the film was worth ₹100 crore, even if he didn't receive it. Rajiv Rai opened up about what Ahaan Panday deserves as fees for Saiyaara. Rajiv spoke about how some actors demand ₹100 crore as fees, inflating a film's budget to over ₹300 crore, yet fail to deliver at the box office. He said, 'I would blame the producers because they are willing to pay. An actor can even quote ₹1,000 crore. It's a basic demand and supply. Since there's more money in the market now, everyone's chasing glamour over substance. They think audiences will show up just because a certain actor is in the film. But glamour doesn't sell alone. They don't even bother to look closely at the script.' Rajiv Rai says Ahaan Panday deserves ₹ 100 crore as fees for Saiyaara The filmmaker elaborated that while lakhs of fans may gather outside a star's home, those same people may not buy tickets to watch their films unless the content connects with them. He further explained how he calculates an actor's worth: 'Whatever I pay them, they must recover for me on Day 1. If I want to be generous, I'll give them three days. If I've paid ₹100 crore to an actor, then the film must make that back within three days of release. That's when they truly deserve that money. Ahaan deserves it, but I don't think he got anything. So, when someone comes to me and asks for ₹10 crore, I simply say: I'll give you my first day's collection.' Saiyaara collected ₹21.5 crore in India and crossed the ₹100 crore mark worldwide within just three days. In 11 days, the film has collected ₹256 crore in India and ₹373 crore globally. Its emotional narrative, the powerful performances of its lead actors, and the soulful music struck a chord with the audience. The film has emerged as one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2025. About Rajiv Rai Rajiv made his directorial debut in Bollywood with Yudh, starring Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff. He went on to make films like Tridev (starring Sunny Deol), Vishwatma, Mohra, Gupt and more. After his 2004 film Asambhav, he took a break from direction. However, he is now all set to make his comeback with Zora, which is slated to release in cinemas on 8 August.
News18
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Ahaan Panday Saiyaara Fees: Gupt Director Says Actor Deserves Rs 100 Core
Last Updated: Rajiv Rai blames producers for bloated star fees, says actor pay should match box office results – citing Ahaan Panday's Saiyaara's success as proof. Bollywood's debate over actor salaries is heating up yet again. Veteran filmmaker Rajiv Rai, famed for the Kajol-starrer Gupt, has put the spotlight on producers, arguing they're fueling the trensd of unsustainably high star fees. On Bollywood Hungama, Rai didn't mince words. He said, 'I would blame the producers because they are willing to pay. An actor can even quote Rs 1,000 crore. It's basic demand and supply. Since there's more money in the market now, everyone's chasing glamour over substance." He criticised the reliance on star power over storytelling, saying producers often ignore the script in favor of glam appeal. 'They think audiences will show up just because a certain actor is in the film. But glamour doesn't sell alone. They don't even bother to look closely at the script." To underline his point, Rajiv Rai painted this vivid picture. 'There might be lakhs of fans gathered outside a star's home, but these same people won't buy tickets to see their film. They're not loyal. They won't open their wallet unless the content connects." Rai says a smart fee model would link an actor's pay to box office returns: 'Here's how I calculate an actor's fee: whatever I pay them, they must recover for me on Day 1. If I want to be generous, I'll give them three days. If I've paid Rs 100 crore to an actor, then the film must make that back within three days of release. That's when they truly deserve the money." He added a cheeky example saying that Ahaan Panday deserves Rs 100 crore for his film simply if he is able to bring in that money. 'So, when someone comes to me and asks for Rs 10 crore, I simply say: I'll give you my first day's collection." This argument comes as Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda's Saiyaara dominates the box office. The film pulled in Rs 21.5 crore on Day 1, then rose to Rs 26 crore and Rs 35.75 crore over the next two days—grossing Rs 83 crore in India over its opening weekend. It crossed Rs 100 crore worldwide in just three days and has reached Rs 250 crore domestically in 10 days. With this, Saiyaara has officially crossed Rs 250 crore net in India and over Rs 300 crore worldwide—making it one of the biggest sleeper hits of 2025. The film is now eyeing the Rs 275 crore mark domestically by the end of its second week. Ahaan Panday is the nephew of Chunky Pandey and his father is Chikki Panday. He is the brother of Ananya Panday and Alaana Panday. First Published: July 29, 2025, 07:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Ahaan Panday deserves Rs 100 crore as his fees, says Gupt director Rajiv Rai: ‘An actor must recover his fees in first 3 days of the film's release'
The conversation around star fees has taken center stage in Bollywood yet again. As members of the industry raise concerns about ballooning actor salaries, filmmaker Rajiv Rai, best known for Kajol-starrer Gupt, has weighed in on the topic, placing the blame squarely on producers for encouraging this trend. In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, Rai offered a sharp critique of how corporate production houses and producers have created a market where actors can command astronomical amounts without any direct accountability. 'I would blame the producers because they are willing to pay. An actor can even quote Rs 1,000 crore. It's basic demand and supply. Since there's more money in the market now, everyone's chasing glamour over substance,' Rai said. He added that major studios often bet on star power rather than content. 'They think audiences will show up just because a certain actor is in the film. But glamour doesn't sell alone. They don't even bother to look closely at the script.' Rajiv Rai illustrated his point with a striking analogy. He said, 'There might be lakhs of fans gathered outside a star's home, but these same people won't buy tickets to see their film. They're not loyal. They won't open their wallet unless the content connects.' The veteran filmmaker strongly believes that a star's salary should be directly tied to the film's box office performance. 'Here's how I calculate an actor's fee: whatever I pay them, they must recover for me on Day 1. If I want to be generous, I'll give them three days. If I've paid Rs 100 crore to an actor, then the film must make that back within three days of release. That's when they truly deserve the money.' ALSO READ | Farah Khan's cook Dilip owns a three storey building with a private pool in Bihar; filmmaker says, 'Work has stopped as they are awaiting marble for flooring' He even joked that Ahaan Panday deserves Rs 100 crore, if he can bring in that amount in the opening days. 'So, when someone comes to me and asks for ₹10 crore, I simply say: I'll give you my first day's collection.' Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda's film Saiyaara is enjoying a stellar box office run. It opened with Rs 21.5 crore on Day 1, followed by Rs 26 crore on Day 2 and Rs 35.75 crore on Day 3, bringing the total India net collection to Rs 83 crore in its opening weekend. The film crossed the Rs 100 crore mark worldwide within just three days, and in ten days, Saiyaara had amassed Rs 250 crore in India alone.
India.com
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
This film, which was released in 1997, was questioned by Amitabh Bachchan, on budget of Rs 9 crore, earned 33 crores, movie is..., lead actors were...
There was a suspense thriller from the 90s that changed the game for mystery films in Bollywood. With its gripping storyline, unexpected twists, and intense performances, it became one of the most iconic whodunits in Indian cinema. But behind its massive success was a surprising moment involving a Bollywood megastar who questioned the faith behind the film's making. Which film is this? Here we are talking about Gupt, released in 1997, directed by Rajiv Rai. The film starred Bobby Deol, Manisha Koirala, and Kajol, and turned out to be a box office blockbuster. Made on a modest budget of Rs 9 crore, the film collected around Rs 33 crore, a huge figure for that time. But before its release, veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan asked director Rajiv Rai, 'How can you trust a suspense film to work at the box office?' He was referring to the fact that Indian audiences had rarely embraced the suspense genre as wholeheartedly in the past. What reply did Rajiv Rai give to clarify Amitabh Bachchan's doubt? Rajiv Rai, however, remained confident in his storytelling and star cast. His faith paid off as Gupt received immense praise for its unpredictable climax, especially Kajol's villainous turn, which shocked the audience. The film became a trendsetter and was even appreciated for its music, composed by Viju Shah, with songs like 'Mushkil Bada Yeh Pyaar Hai', Duniya Haseenon Ka Mela' and 'Gupt Gupt' topping the charts. When Amitabh Bachchan refused to work with Rajiv Rai Rajiv Rai said in one of his candid conversations that he met director Anees Bazmee and he prepared a script for Amitabh Bachchan, but when he narrated the script to him, he was not interested in it. He said, 'I don't want to do any film in the phase I am going through. He was not going through a good phase at that time,' he recalled and further said, 'He was confused, and in this confusion he refused, he was not confused, but his circumstances were like this.' Although Rajiv was confident that Amitabh would say yes, Amitabh refused, and at that time my heart my shattered.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ex-Shimla dy mayor moves SC against HC order over removal of apple orchards
New Delhi, Former deputy mayor of Shimla has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Himachal Pradesh High Court order that directed the government to remove fruit-bearing apple orchards from encroached forest lands. Ex-Shimla dy mayor moves SC against HC order over removal of apple orchards The plea filed by former deputy mayor Tikender Singh Panwar and activist advocate Rajiv Rai said the high court in its July 2 order has directed the forest department to remove the apple orchards and to plant forest species in their place, with costs to be recovered from encroachers as arrears of land revenue. "The petitioners submit that the said order is arbitrary, disproportionate and violative of constitutional, statutory and environmental principles, thereby necessitating the intervention of the Supreme Court to prevent irreversible ecological and socio-economic harm in the ecologically fragile state of Himachal Pradesh," the plea said. It said such large-scale tree-felling, particularly during the monsoon season, significantly heightens the risk of landslides and soil erosion in Himachal Pradesh, a region characterised by its seismic activity and ecological sensitivity. "Apple orchards, far from being mere encroachments, contribute to soil stability, provide habitats for local wildlife and form the backbone of the state's economy, supporting the livelihoods of thousands of farmers," the plea said. Panwar submitted that the high court's order, which mandates the blanket removal of apple trees, without conducting a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment , is arbitrary and contravenes the precautionary principle, a cornerstone of environmental jurisprudence. The plea added that the destruction of these orchards threatens not only environmental stability but also the fundamental right to livelihood enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution. "The high court's order lacked the requisite EIA to assess its environmental and socio-economic impacts, thereby violating the principles of reasonableness and proportionality as elucidated in cases such as Coimbatore District Central Co-operative Bank. The felling of apple trees during the monsoon season exacerbates ecological risks, including landslides and soil erosion, contradicting judicial mandates for environmental assessments as seen in T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad vs. Union of India," the petitioners said. They said the economic ramifications are equally severe, as apple cultivation is a vital component of Himachal Pradesh's economy, and its destruction threatens the livelihoods of small-scale farmers, thereby infringing upon their constitutional right to life and livelihood. "In lieu of destructive felling, the petitioners propose sustainable alternatives, such as state acquisition of orchards for public purposes, auctioning of fruit and timber, or utilisation of resources for farmer cooperatives or disaster relief initiatives. These measures would align with the principles of sustainable development, balancing environmental conservation with economic imperatives," the plea said. Panwar said as of July 18, reports indicate that over 3,800 apple trees have been felled in areas like Chaithla, Kotgarh and Rohru, with plans to remove up to 50,000 trees across the state. "The enforcement of this order, as evidenced in public reports, led to the destruction of fully fruit-laden apple trees, evoking widespread public distress and criticism," he submitted in his plea. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on July 17 said the state government is not in favour of felling apple-laden trees from encroached forest land and that it should be given time to auction the produce. He said a meeting will be convened with the horticulture minister and other senior officers soon to explore the legal aspects of this issue and the basis on which the Supreme Court will be approached. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
