South Actors reimburse when films don’t do well: Roshan Mathew
By : Lipika Varma
Update: 2024-07-21 13:28 GMT
Gulshan Devaiah and Roshan Mathew, the stellar ensemble cast in Janhvi Kapoor starrer film,” Ulajh” answered our hard-hitting questions on the burning topic of Actors charging exorbitant pay pack while they give a meagre opening of just Rs 3 crore, about fans fights on social media if its organised, corporate strategies, Managers and agencies handling the actors, South actors reimburse when films don’t do well and more-
On Patriotism
Gulshan Devaiah: I think your love for your country doesn’t need any shout outs from roof top or bang drums or blowing your own trumpets. Your love for your country can be as silent as the love of any mother who extends her help to her children without their knowledge. Patriotism needs to be pure love for your country. Like in the film Suhana’s[Janhvi Kapoor] love for her country is not like ‘Chhati peetne wala kind.” [Beating the breast kind of love]
Roshan Mathew: Patriotism for me, I guess it’s a sense of love for one’s motherland. I think any kind of love comes with a certain amount of responsibilities and we have to be true.
Down South actors reimburse when films don’t do well
Roshan Mathew: There are a few actors who have reimbursed the money, not all do it. It sort of comes from cultural belief. When you are making a film, you need to have some kind of ownership or some kind of love for it. You also dwell on the intent that film needs to do well and make sure it sustains. But if a certain film didn’t work you don’t want the people behind it and the industry to take a low hit. It's understanding the larger perspective. But I don’t think it's specific to actors down south only. Everybody who works in cinema understands that every project needs to recover the money invested and make profit.
Gulshan Devaiah: I have that understanding. It’s important to push the film. I have an observation that the Hindi entertainment industry has been very corporatized since 2000.A lot of people have brought investments and certain structures and the working pattern has turned into a whole monetization model. I think in the South, it’s not so corporatized, so they look at films a little differently, they still have that personal connection which they may have with someone who is running a studio or has an individual bond. There are advantages and disadvantages. But I don’t want to assume some people may have done so. I don't think it is necessary to talk about it in the open.
Roshan Mathew: We all get calls directly/personally from the producers and directors calling us. There are no managers, we need not strictly only go through them. Everybody knows everyone, like I have been working in Malayalam cinema for nine years, this is my tenth year. So, by now anyone who would like to have me in their film, will definitely have a line of communication with me. And simply ask me -Eh! We are doing something and it starts off like this.
On Karan Johar’s statement - Actors charge exorbitant amount and don’t bring an opening of even Rs 3 crore
Gulshan Devaiah: It’s an unstable business, it’s also a game of perception, if somebody is willing to pay you and if that’s important for you people will take that opportunity. Maybe, some are not comfortable doing that mil raha hai toh lein. People have money so they are paying. Maybe, Karan is not willing to pay. Many people are ready to pay. It works two ways. Corporates came in and brought in a lot of cash flow; this is somewhere connected to that. However, we need to restructure and change; like every story needs to be made with the right budget.
Fan clubs fight whose stars making more money and has more screen space
Gulshan Devaiah: Who is fanning this fight. This is not normal, this seems organized, there is something fishy for me and it’s ridiculous why take so much seriously admiration and love is welcome but it’s too much after a point
Is there some strategy pushing fan fights for B.O results
Gulshan Devaiah: I don’t know… However, I feel this is the by-product of social media thus also gets amplified.
On South fans hero worshiping actors
Roshan Mathew: We used to see fights since our school days, it’s been there. Fan heroes worship their favourite actors. Actors transition into leaders of the people and get into politics, I guess, it’s a little more prominent in Telugu and Tamil. The Box office numbers are trickling down into every industry and maybe with times, whatever are unfavourable or insensible practices will fade out.
On Managers Agencies trend
Gulshan: I think there should be a good balance between having a personal relationship. Actors should take keen interest in how business works, understanding contracts and a lot of other things, Bahut jyada clinical corporatisation nahi hona chahiye . We find our ways. We have to learn good things from corporate culture, it's very structured, there is no black money, taxes are all sorted out, your taxes insulate. But there is a clinical approach to film making as there is numbers and data. But that doesn’t happen with people who are filmmakers. They love films, I think somewhere, we need to bring a bit of balance.
Roshan Mathew: I have a manager for all that where it is needed. It helps me out, I want to clear as much head space as possible when I am working. All conversations can be sent in that direction; it's a system that works well. I think the environment here also demands it. Malayalam it’s still not very prominent. It’s not that actors don’t have managers down South some do have but still we can connect directly.
“Ulajh” Directed by Sudhanshu Saria, will hit theatres on 2 August, 2024.