In a recent interview, Anurag Kashyap opened up about the entourage culture that exists in the industry and said that actors come with their own team of 7-8 people, and they are allowed to do it because he or she is the leading actor of the film. He further said that the entourage makes it a crowd; but they are quite demanding, and it increases the cost too but for stars it’s required too because of the security reasons. Ashok Kumar Beniwal, who is currently seen at Jahangir National University, feels it started to ease the actor so that they remain focused on their work and the number increased eventually because of security reasons and Luxury. But it also seems surprisingly unfair to lots of character actors who are paid far less than the boys or drivers of stars.
Sharing his personal experience, he said, “I understand that an actor shouldn’t have to think about or ask about small things on the set like water or tea. Sometimes I remember that when I started shooting initially, I would feel thirsty during the shoot. If it went on for a long time, I had to look around for water, and despite asking repeatedly, it felt a bit awkward to speak up loudly because senior actresses were in front of us, and we couldn’t speak loudly. It felt a bit awkward because the director was also there, as was the producer. Sometimes there was a lot of hesitation. I remember 2-3 instances where I was very thirsty and had to deliver critical shots because water was not available at that moment.”
“To new actors, Anxiety increases when performing in front of big actors, which makes you feel thirstier and your throat dries up more frequently. So, if there were an assistant to support the actor, it would be very helpful. Regarding character actors, well, as far as I’m concerned, I haven’t taken anyone with me yet. I don’t have an assistant assisting me. Actually You can’t ask for it until you are popular. So, if there is someone to assist, like a boy to get water, tea or some biscuits when needed, it would be certainly helpful. The main purpose is to ensure the actor remains stress-free and focused on their work without worrying about other things. This is a key point,” he added.
He feels, be it big or small actors, if the basic necessities are provided on set, then there’s no need for someone to personally handle everything for the actor. He added, “If someone can afford it, like I’ve heard about Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan, and I don’t know if this is true, he includes his staff’s expenses in his own fees. This way, there is no additional burden. This professional attitude must be appreciated. If it happens this way, then there is no problem. Actors can get what they need for their comfort without creating unnecessary burden on the producer. I believe this applies to anyone, regardless of who they are.”
Ashok also pointed out that people are becoming popular using social media, and there is nothing wrong if an actor has a dedicated social media person on the set.
“With social media now available, this facility will continue to grow. Those who have creativity and the power to become popular are rising, while some are becoming popular in negative ways, which is not right. However, just because we think it’s not right doesn’t change anything. People are liking it, which is why it’s becoming popular. Even if we think it’s not right, if kids like it, it will continue to thrive. As long as something doesn’t promote crime and doesn’t harm others, it is accepted in society, in my opinion,” he shared.
