Kartik Aaryan on Shehzada Failure, Rising Fees of Actors: 'I Hope I Don't Make My Producers Angry'

Kartik Aaryan has emerged as one of the most bankable actors in Bollywood over the past decade. Initially winning audiences over with his performances in the comedy-drama genre, he has since transitioned into more substantial roles that showcase his range as an actor.

As he prepares for the release of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, directed by Anees Bazmee and featuring an impressive cast including Triptii Dimri, Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit, Aaryan took the opportunity to share his insights into the rising fees of actors in the industry. He told Pinkvilla at IFP, “Everything has a calculation. It’s a business module. If things are sitting in the calculation, then it’s correct.” He said that if the returns from satellite, digital and music rights are beneficial to producers and if audiences are flocking to see an actor, then their fee is justified.

Aaryan acknowledged that the debates surrounding actor remuneration persist because many people fail to understand these calculations. “Since people are not doing these calculations, these debates are happening. The calculations are going off, and thus most people are not happy and, in fact, angry,” he noted. He added, “I hope my producers stay happy and I don’t make them angry in any way. I think my calculator works well.”

When asked if he had ever taken on a project purely for financial reasons, Aaryan was candid. “Yes, I have (laughs). I did it in the beginning. I won’t say for which film,” he admitted. He explained that early in his career, he faced financial constraints and felt he had no choice but to take a project that would provide immediate income.

Following the success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, where he reduced his fee to keep the film within budget, Aaryan took a different approach with Shehzada, which unfortunately flopped at the box office. Reflecting on this experience, he said, “For Shehzada, which didn’t work, we were facing a crisis from before its release. They were gracious enough to give me producer credits. I didn’t want to take it, but I invested in a few things during the making, so they gave me producer credits.” He added, “I just wanted to save my film, selfishly. I try to safeguard my movies in all ways possible.”