A-listers doubled fees while crew had pay cuts: Ronit Roy
What's the story
Actor Ronit Roy recently took on A-list stars for hiking their fees to almost double during the pandemic, when other crew members have had to face pay cuts. Speaking his mind in an interview recently, the Udaan actor said he found the practice unfair. He went on to reveal how he has hiked the salary of his workers to help them sustain themselves.
Complaint
Roy called this pay disparity 'very wrong'
"I have verified information that all the A-listers have doubled their fees, aur gareebon ka paisa kaat rahe hain [and they are deducting the pay of the poor]. This is something very wrong which is happening in our industry," Roy told Hindustan Times. Not mincing his words, Roy, who most recently appeared in Candy, said people shouldn't start projects if they lack required funds.
Quote
'If you want to cut pay, do it from A-listers'
Producers deducting salaries of the crew members in the entertainment industry citing the COVID-19 pandemic "is all bulls**t," according to Roy. "Pay cut karna hai toh A-lister ka pay cut karo na [If you want to cut pay, then cut it from A-listers], why are you trying to just focus on the poor people for it? It is just not right," he added.
Financial crunch
'Only Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Karan Johar supported me'
Roy, who also runs a security agency, faced some financial difficulties too when everything came to a standstill. But he reportedly used his savings to keep his 125 employees on the roll and even increased the pay of his staff. He revealed, "At the time of my financial crisis, it was only Akshay Kumar sir, Amitabh Bachchan sir, and Karan Johar who supported me."
Struggle
Recently, Salman Khan drew flak for his 'Bigg Boss' paycheck
Recently, Twitter users were angry when a report hinted that Salman Khan had demanded a whopping Rs. 350cr for his Bigg Boss 15 stint. In contrast, many prominent actors like Ayub Khan and Shagufta Ali have come out to talk about their financial difficulties during the past year. So one can only imagine the struggles of junior artists and crew members. Such dichotomy!