Nawazuddin Siddiqui Says Actors Demanding High Entourage Costs Is 'Not Right': 'Taam Jhaam Badhate Hain'

The rising entourage costs in Bollywood have become quite the talking point recently. Several filmmakers and producers like Farah Khan and Anurag Kashyap among others have spoken about how today, less money is used to make a film and more money is spent catering to the actor’s entourage. Now, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has weighed in on this debate.

Speaking to The Indian Express, the actor said, “I don’t like it. For me, one thing is clear, you have fixed a certain amount as your fees then you should do it in that much, yeh jo taam jhaam badhate hai, it is not being used in the film, toh koi matlab nahi uska (all this is useless). I have always stayed away from it because humaari filmein itni badi budget ki hoti hi nahi hai (my films have never been of such big budgets), frankly speaking. Even if the budget is big I stay away from it because it is not the right thing na. It is not good for your field.”

When asked about why he does films with a small budget, he said, “I do ‘small films’ because I have come here to do that only. Yes, at times I also do big films, play small roles in them, woh paise ke liye karte hai (I do that for the money). Paise milte hai acchhe usmein, taaki hum humaari chhoti filmein bana sake (you get paid well so then you can do small films).”

He added, “I make sure I am balanced that way. Periodically I review the kind of films I am doing. If I have done one big film, budget-wise, then I make sure I do a couple of small films. There is not very good money in small films, so one needs to balance it out. I have been doing this from the very beginning of my career.”

“I keep feeling the need to do weird stuff because if I start doing only one kind of work I’ll get bored and I’d be forced to take up some other profession. I think, in my profession, to keep it interesting one needs to do varied roles, sometimes you become a gangster, sometimes a cop, do a biopic, sometimes play an ordinary person. I love portraying characters based on people I have seen and met, it is very interesting,” he said.

Nawazuddin was last seen in Anurag Kashyap’s Haddi. He will soon be seen in Rautu Ka Raaz, which will premiere on Zee5.