Bollywood Stars Took Pay Cuts for Creative Cinema, Reveals Abhishek Chaubey
Filmmaker Abhishek Chaubey recently revealed how top Bollywood stars like Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Vidya Balan took significant pay cuts for their roles in the critically acclaimed films Udta Punjab and Ishqiya. Speaking at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Chaubey shed light on the efforts made by the cast to support the creative vision of these projects despite their relatively modest budgets.
Stars Supporting the Vision
In a session titled Micro to Millions: Low Budget Films Becoming Blockbusters, Chaubey explained that while these films were not strictly low-budget, they required financial discipline to ensure quality. To help manage costs, big names like Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Shahid Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh, and the aforementioned actresses agreed to reduce their market rates.
“When I directed films like Ishqiya and Udta Punjab, relatively not very small films, the stars in these films did not charge within quotes of their market rates. They all worked for less money,” Chaubey shared.
The Balance of Creativity and Budget
Reflecting on his career, Chaubey credited his early experiences working under Vishal Bhardwaj on Makdee for teaching him the importance of cost control and discipline. These lessons helped him navigate the challenges of filmmaking while balancing artistic vision and financial limitations.
Low-Budget Success Stories
Chaubey’s production company, MacGuffin Pictures, exemplifies his approach to filmmaking. The company’s debut film, A Death in the Gunj, was made on a tight budget of ₹4-4.5 crore and still turned a profit. Shooting the film with a small crew in Jharkhand demonstrated Chaubey’s ability to create impactful cinema within constraints.
A Commitment to Storytelling
The director also highlighted his dissatisfaction with mainstream cinema’s compromises, expressing a desire to produce films he genuinely enjoys. His revelations about stars taking pay cuts emphasize the importance of collaboration and shared commitment to meaningful storytelling.
Chaubey’s journey underscores that discipline and passion can transform small-scale projects into celebrated cinematic experiences.
