- Tusshar Kapoor saw nearly 50 vanity vans on Welcome To The Jungle sets
- He believes entourage culture should not cross into narcissism
- Actors need basic support but excessive spending is unjustified
Tusshar Kapoor has shared his thoughts on the growing trend of large entourages on film sets in Bollywood. Recalling his experience while shooting Welcome To The Jungle, the actor revealed he was surprised to see nearly 50 vanity vans lined up outside the set.
While acknowledging that actors often need support teams, Tusshar stressed that entourage culture should never cross the line into what he described as "narcissism."
In an interview with Indian Express, Tusshar shared that it took him around five minutes to reach his vanity van on the sets as he had to walk past a long line of vans. "I used to just look at these vans and wonder what would be the daily cost for so many vans, and everyone's staff. Is it really worth taking so many actors? I used to wonder that while Ahmed [Khan] has a vision, he is bringing a new genre which was never attempted in India, but is it really justified having so many actors and doing so much kharcha?" the actor said.
Tusshar added, "Ahmed was adamant that he needed everybody in every shot. There was a one-year gap in shooting Welcome. When the film resumed, he never thought to just shoot with actors available on set. He stuck to his guns and finished the film.”
Tusshar addressed the ongoing discussion around entourage expenses in the film industry.
He said, “There has to be a balance. Some of that cost, even if it feels a little excessive, is required. You need your hairstylist, your makeup man. You need some perks. Going by the stress a leading actor or actress goes through, you need some comfort, space, and luxury to actually bring your best out. This is a visual medium, so to bring that beauty across, you need some kharcha and pampering. It's fine. But there is a limit. It shouldn't go beyond the basic requirement of vanity to a point where it becomes narcissism. It should not be done to satisfy your ego. That's not good.”
Talking about responsible spending, Tusshar mentioned that it's important to spend wisely and not waste money. “Some production houses give the director whatever he or she requires, that shows on screen, so it is justified. But when it becomes more about megalomania, and the producer is bleeding for no rhyme or reason, that has to be cut out. There has to be balance," he added.
Tusshar Kapoor will next be seen in Golmaal 5 alongside Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and Arshad Warsi.