Even as Bollywood continues to battle a dry spell at the box office, another long-standing issue continues to trouble producers, which is the mounting bills of celebrity entourages. Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore, who never faced such demands during her career peak, admits she became aware of the scale of it only because her family’s Pataudi Palace is often rented out for shoots.
Extra rooms for entourages
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India, Sharmila explained how production teams end up booking more rooms at the palace than they once did, just to accommodate stars’ personal staff. “I know about all of this because we rent out Pataudi Palace. There’ll be a secretary, a cook, and a masseuse. So that’s six to seven people right there, and that must be costing a lot to producers,” she pointed out.The Pataudi Palace, valued at around Rs 800 crore, spans 10 acres and houses 150 rooms. Once home to Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, it is now owned by their son, actor Saif Ali Khan, and remains one of the industry’s most sought-after filming locations.
Vanity vans as status markers
Sharmila also noted how vanity vans have become extensions of a star’s stature. “I hear there are now makeup rooms, sitting rooms, sleeping rooms and discussion rooms. The bigger the size of the vanity, the bigger the status of the star, apparently,” she said.
A sharp contrast with the past
Drawing a comparison with earlier generations, the two-time National Award winner said stars of the past guaranteed value for money. “Movies of stars like Dilip Kumar ji and Waheeda Rahman ji would run to packed theatres. People knew Dev Anand’s films would have good music. Or let’s put it this way — they always fulfilled the expectations people had from them, and they recovered the money spent on their films. I believe that’s not the case anymore. Am I right?” she asked.
