Haasan urges cost cuts as film budgets climb 25%
Film budgets are shooting up (by as much as 25%) because of the ongoing conflict in West Asia, with higher fuel, travel, and material costs. This is hitting smaller films especially hard, since box office earnings from the Middle East are also down.
Kamal Haasan is encouraging the industry to be smarter about spending: We need to cut down on extravagance and look at local resources.
He's pushing for tighter schedules, energy-saving measures, and less reliance on expensive international shoots.
Smaller studios squeezed despite subsidies
With logistics and tech costs rising fast, big-budget movies can manage, but smaller studios are feeling squeezed.
Some countries like Saudi Arabia and Poland are stepping in with hefty production subsidies (Saudi Arabia offers up to 60% back) to attract film crews.
Still, if instability continues, it could make things even tougher for filmmakers worldwide trying to balance creativity with shrinking budgets.