The picture was taken by Riteish Deshmukh on Instagram. (courtesy: ritesh deshmukh,
Mumbai:
Actor-producer Riteish Deshmukh says not burdening a film with star fees can decide the survival of that film and the people making it. He stressed that he does not charge a single penny when he involves himself in a project under his banner.
Deshmukh, who is set to make her series debut with Pill, ventured into filmmaking with the 2013 Marathi film Balak-Palak under the Mumbai Film Company. She later starred in Lai Bhaari (2014) and Veda (2022), both Marathi titles produced by her.
When asked to comment on the ongoing debate about the rising star’s fees and overhead costs, the actor-producer told PTI: “I am a producer who casts me and I don’t pay myself, so I have no issues… I just feel it is important that you don’t burden any film with an actor’s fee because the film needs to survive. And if the film survives, everyone will survive.” Directed by director Rajkumar Gupta, The Pill depicts the dark reality of the drug world of prescription drugs through the lens of medical officials and whistleblowers.
Produced by Ronnie Screwvala under the banner of RSVP Movies, the series will start streaming on JioCinema Premium from July 12.
Gupta, known for films like Aamir and Raid, said there is a need to reduce the overall cost of production.
“The money should be spent in the right place. Also, there should be transparency from the studio or the producer’s side. Many times, people don’t want to follow a model because they feel there is no transparency in it.
“As an industry, we all need to come together and move to the next level. We need to make films at a budget that suits everyone,” the director said.
Screwvala, known for producing films like Swades, A Wednesday, Udaan and Uri: The Surgical Strike, said he likes to look at the bright side.
“I don’t disagree with anything everybody is saying, because when you try to look at different things that will really take the industry to the next level, I think we are on the verge of that. So, I don’t look at a cup that’s half empty, I look at a cup that’s half full. We need to do a lot more at every level.”
“(But) you cannot take one factor because a lot has happened in the cost of production… a lot of production has happened in the last four years and a lot of things have been green-lit. It is an ecosystem. When you are taking the overall ecosystem to the next level, you will always find some anomalies,” he said.
Set in North India, “Pill” will see Deshmukh playing a medical officer named Dr Prakash Chauhan.
The actor said he worked closely with a dialect coach to play the character.
“Raj sir was very clear about how he wanted me to look. My first approach was, ‘Can I have a beard?’ He said, ‘I see you with just a simple moustache. I don’t want a beard.’ It was not about how I wanted it to look, but (about) how I could possibly complement the way the character was looking in terms of the look, mannerisms, body language or the way he spoke.
He said, “Actually, he had a special dialect. So, I had a dialect coach every day on the set. I would practice my dialogues to get the pronunciation right. I am very glad that he, as the producer, as the director, provided me with everything that would help me improve myself as an actor.”
Pill also stars Pawan Malhotra in a lead role.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
