Farah Khan SLAMS Bollywood's Entourage Culture: 'Ek Actress 9 Log Saath Leke Aati Hai, Aur Actor 8'

Farah Khan didn’t hold back discussing the growing costs of actor entourages in the film industry, where it’s common for them to bring along at least nine people to set. During a recent chat on Twin Encounter’s episode on Chinki Minki’s YouTube channel, Farah talked about changes in Bollywood and her wish for one particular change. When asked about industry shifts, Farah spoke about the positive aspect: better organisation. She mentioned that people are more punctual now, and there’s a structured studio system in place.

Farah said, “Bura change yeh hai ki pehle bahut zyada relationship pe chalti thi industry. Toh agar mujhe kuch chahiye hota tha toh main actor ko directly phone karti thi. Ab ye hoga ki pehle aap unke manager ke sub-manager ko milo. Phir woh manager milega, uske baad unki agency milegi. So it has become very clinical. Interpersonal relations thode kharab ho gaye (The negative change is that in the past, relationships played a big role in the industry. If I needed something, I could just call the actor directly. But now, it’s more formal. You have to go through layers of managers and agencies. So, it’s become very impersonal. Interpersonal relationships have suffered a bit).”

Farah also shared a change she wants in the industry, saying that the entourage costs have become too much. An actress brings 9 people, an actor brings 8. “That is a waste of resources. Woh film mein dikhta nahi hai. Woh cost. Toh I think that needs to be controlled a bit. Producers pe bahut bhari padta hain,” she added.

The director-choreographer had also mentioned that top actors insist on having up to four vanity vans each before they start working. During a recent video chat, Farah Khan discussed the lavish demands of a few movie stars, including the need for multiple vanity vans for themselves and their entourage, shedding light on the behind-the-scenes requirements of actors. During a YouTube vlog conversation with TV actor Dipika Kakkar and her husband, actor Shaoib Ibrahim, Farah shared, “Until the vans don’t come, they don’t act. Nowadays, each actor has about four vans for themselves. One person. One is for their gym,, one is for their staff, one is for them, one is… then the food truck comes, that’s separate.”

Farah Khan, known for directing stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, also spoke of how on-set requirements have changed over the years, mentioning luxurious upgrades in vanity vans, from gyms to kitchens.