Karan Johar wants to cut pay checks, Saif Ali Khan quips on fee-business remark

Actor-producer Saif Ali Khan interpreted filmmaker Karan Johar’s recent “stars can’t guarantee hits” remark as a suggestion to cut pay cheques. Speaking at the India Today Mumbai Conclave, the 54-year-old actor spoke at length about the dynamics of the film industry’s economics and how it sometimes gets “skewed”.
A few weeks ago, Karan Johar flagged how Bollywood actors charge up to Rs 40 crore for a film but sometimes only bring in Rs 3.5 crore at the box office.
When asked about Johar’s remark, Khan quipped, “He wants to cut pay cheques. I think I should have my own union on that. I am sure he is right, but it makes me a little nervous when we hear about cutting pay cheques. No cutting pay cheques.”
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Saif Ali Khan, though, acknowledged that several producers gave in to the demands of the actors, adding that actors charging astronomical amounts and not delivering cannot last for long in the industry.
“The economics of our industry (is like that). That’s what happens – you go to a star, sometimes they say ‘hey, if you want me, that’s what it is going to cost’. And people pay it. And if people pay it, then sometimes the economics do get skewed. But, Indians are businessmen. So, the film industry is primarily a business kind of financial centre in itself and people take shots. But, Karan Johar knows best. I’m just joking.”
“What he (Karan Johar) is talking about is people charging astronomical money and then not delivering, which can’t last. We don’t charge that much, we are recession-proof,” the ‘Race’ actor said.
On the work front, Saif is set to make his Telugu debut with Devara: Part 1, where he plays the character of Bhairava. It hits the theatres on September 27.