“Actors Want Drugs at Night, Diet Food in Morning!”

Filmmaker and former CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani recently made headlines after revealing the shocking dynamics in Bollywood, where actors today demand significant control over important filmmaking decisions.

Speaking at an interview, Pahlaj recalled how Akshay Kumar was the first actor to interfere in casting during the 2003 film Talaash: The Hunt Begins.

Akshay repeatedly insisted on casting Kareena Kapoor as the heroine and even stated, “Pay me what you want, but the heroine of this film will be Kareena Kapoor.”

Pahlaj explained that this was a notable shift from earlier times when the director and producers were the only people responsible for casting.

He continued that actors now often decide not just the cast but also directors, reducing producers to the role of mere facilitators.

Pahlaj also criticized the inflated entourage costs, describing that actors today demand multiple vanity vans, separate hairdressers, expensive diet food, and many more things that were never in the equation for past actors.

He even stated, “Earlier, one person was working; now 10 people are employed. They want drugs at night and diet food in the morning.”

Pahlaj’s remarks come at a time in Bollywood when actors demand a pay higher than that of the writers and directors.

While there is no substantial evidence that all actors demand these services, many industry insiders have complained of the same issues for a long time now.