Bollywood stars’ entourage costs have been a topic of discussion for some time now. Many industry insiders have complained about how the film’s budget increases and is a burden on the producers. The debate gained more momentum after the makers of Chiranjeevi’s Mana Shankara Varu Prasad Garu revealed that while the film was put together on a budget of around Rs 200 crore, its actual production cost was only around Rs 25 crore. Reports also claimed that Chiranjeevi’s remuneration alone was over Rs 75 crore.Now veteran actor Sudhir Pandey has weighed in on the discussion, reflecting on the unequal treatment of top stars and character actors on film sets. He even suggested that the money spent on bottled drinking water during a shoot could be enough to finance a small-budget film.Pandey pointed out that supporting actors rarely get vanity vans comparable to those allotted to top stars. He said in an interview with Siddharth Kannan, “It’s very rare for character actors like us to get a big van. They usually give us a small one. Stars arriving in a whole convoy look very fake and contrived. It looks like a waste of money. If they’re spending out of pocket, that’s different. But if the producers pay for it, then it’s simply a waste. The amount of money wasted on it is enough for someone to make a small-budget film.” He further commented, “You won’t believe it, but the amount spent on Bisleri water alone can be enough to make a small-budget film.”When asked if he himself maintains a personal environment, Pandey explained that he does not. “I don’t have a team. There was one time when I got sick and had to take my meals and medicine on time, so I had a guy with me to help me. I pay him myself. A couple of producers did offer to cover the expense, but I always told them if they couldn’t, I’d pay. That’s never been a problem.”Talking about the disparity between stars and supporting actors, Pandey admitted that he has accepted it as the norm within the industry. “You can’t do anything about it. It’s part of this futile culture; I use the word ‘futile’ deliberately. We pretend to be democratic, but we’re far from it. Whoever gets into a position of power in any field starts dictating terms, and people just follow. You can’t challenge them.”curiously, Aamir Khan he had previously spoken out against the same culture of producer-funded personal expenses and over-the-top environments. Appearing on trade analyst Komal Nahta’s YouTube show Game Changers, Aamir argued that while stars deserve respect, they should never take advantage of their position by putting unnecessary financial burdens on producers.“Stars deserve respect, but not to the extent that producers start worrying,” Aamir said. Recalling the start of his career almost 37 years ago, the actor revealed that he was brought back after discovering that producers routinely paid for a star’s personal staff.“There was a system where the producer paid for the star’s driver and assistant on the set. I thought it was very strange. I thought, ‘The driver and the assistant work for me, so why is the producer paying them?’ If the producer is paying my personal staff, does that mean he should also pay my children’s school fees? Where does it stop?”Aamir explained that he put an end to the practice by himself from the beginning.“I think producers should only spend on things that are genuinely necessary for the film: makeup, hair, costumes. But how does my driver or personal assistant contribute to the film? They work for me, so it’s my responsibility to pay them, especially when I earn well. From day one, I made it clear that none of my producers would pay for my driver or assistant. It’s been 37 years now.”He also expressed concern about what he believes has become a widespread trend among younger actors in the industry.“I hear today’s stars don’t even pay their own drivers and ask the producers to shoulder the cost. It doesn’t stop there. The producers also pay for their boys, trainers and cooks. I’ve even heard that actors now have live kitchens on set and expect the producers to foot the bill.Questioning the justification of these demands, Aamir concluded, “Where do you spend all the money you earn? These stars are making millions and still not able to pay for their own needs? I find it very strange. It is very sad and harmful to the industry. I say this very strongly; it is a shame that even today there are actors who are unfair to their producers and films. lifestyle, why do you make the producer pay for it why a Does the producer have to provide you with six vans when you only need one for makeup?