Are Bollywood Producers Silently Paying The Price For Star Entourages?

Star’s entourage is not a new thing in the film industry. In the past, actresses were accompanied by their mothers, makeup/hair dresser and the spot boy. Then the numbers were officially less; but at times the star’s family members too travelled and exploited the producers and financially it was a burden for them. Prominent filmmaker Suneel Darshan in a podcast says nowadays star’s entourage is over 26 people and they have all to be taken care of by the producers. Actors like Govinda, Sunny Deol and a few actresses had at least 10 members travelling with them on outdoor shoots.  Today, most stars have an entourage of a dozen people comprising manager’s assistant, makeup artiste, hair stylist, fitness trainer, and chef.  The food department is an additional burden on the producers. Before the entry of food trucks, the stars & their families would make producers order food from 5-star hotels and often take it home. This saw producers come together and tell the big stars to cut down on their entourage numbers or pay from their own pockets. Many stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan even agreed but it is learnt nobody is living up to their words. With Bollywood films taking a big beating at the box office, the industry is going through a correction phase and at such times it makes eminent sense for stars to more than cooperate by at least cutting down on their entourage numbers.