By subhash k jha

Copyright deccanchronicle

Astronomical star fees are only part of the problem—Hindi film producers say they’re now reeling under the burden of sky-high entourage costs and lavish star demands. Multiple vanity vans, gyms on sets, petrol allowances, custom meals, and even laundry bills have now become part of the industry’s everyday battles.Director Sanjay Gupta, who has worked in the industry for four decades, didn’t mince words. He revealed on Cyrus Broacha’s podcast that some stars demand as many as seven vanity vans and bring along entourages of up to 30 members, with costs conveniently billed to producers. “All the old-school guys, including Mr Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, and Hrithik Roshan, only have one makeup guy and one spot boy.Producers complain, and rightfully so, because suddenly you’re paying lakhs,” Gupta said.Veteran filmmaker Rajiv Rai contrasted today’s star culture with the professionalism of earlier generations. “Stars today treat producers like money bags… My father, Gulshan Rai, worked with Amitabh Bachchan, Dev Anand, Hema Malini—you name them—without facing such starry demands. Today, producers even end up paying laundry bills,” he said, adding that such pressures drove him away from filmmaking for over two decades.Convenience vs. ExtravaganceProducer Suneel Darshan acknowledged that a vanity van has its place, but condemned the excesses. “A vanity van for convenience is fine. Beyond that, it’s just complexes, egos and extravagance at others’ cost,” he pointed out.Who’s really to blame?Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, however, argued that producers themselves are responsible for allowing the culture to spiral out of control. “If stars call for 5, 6, or 7 vanity vans, it’s a sign of weak production houses that allow it and then complain,” Mishra observed. Known for his blunt approach, Rajkumar Santoshi said he draws the line and refuses to indulge star tantrums. “If a star halts shooting for ice cream, they better pay for it—the ice cream and the delay. I don’t tolerate tantrums,” he declared.Summing up the frustration of many producers, filmmaker Vikram Bhatt admitted he has no patience for such indulgences. “Not enough can be said about the vanity-van culture. I don’t have the patience to wait endlessly for stars,” he concluded.Stars Face Backlash* Sanjay Gupta claimed some stars insist on up to 11 vanity vans, including kitchen vans.* Farah Khan has called out celebrities who refuse to start work unless their vanity vans (often multiple) are set up — “one for gym, one for staff, one for themselves…” etc.* Nawazuddin Siddiqui has publicly slammed the extravagance, saying, “Some actors have five vanity vans”. He objects to how unnecessary and expensive such demands are.