Aamir Khan SLAMS luxury demands of stars in Bollywood; calls it shameful

Aamir Khan has openly criticised the growing culture of luxury demands on film sets, calling it unfair for producers to foot personal bills of stars and labelling the trend as “damaging and shameful.”

Image Credit : instagram

Early Days: Why Aamir Found Producer-Paid Staff ‘Strange’

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has spoken out against what he described as the spiralling culture of luxury demands by film stars, saying that such practices put an unfair burden on producers.

Image Credit : Sun Pictures, Getty

The Growing Culture of Excess on Film Sets

In a conversation with film trade analyst Komal Nahta on his YouTube channel Game Changers, Aamir recalled his early years in the industry. He explained that he always found it odd when producers were expected to pay for things that had no connection to filmmaking. For instance, he questioned why a producer should be responsible for the salaries of a star’s driver or domestic help, when these people were working for the actor personally and not contributing to the film. He argued that if this logic was stretched, producers might as well be asked to cover family expenses such as children’s school fees.

Image Credit : Matthias Rollins

Valid Costs vs. Unfair Demands: Drawing the Line

According to Aamir, producers should only be paying for costs that directly serve the film—such as makeup, costumes, and hairstyling. He emphasised that actors, especially those who earn massive sums, should be paying for their own staff.

Image Credit : Getty Images

Aamir’s Own Rulebook: Paying His Way, Always

The superstar expressed disappointment that the situation has worsened over time. He mentioned that today’s actors often pass on expenses for their drivers, spot boys, trainers, and even personal chefs to the producer. Some, he said, go as far as demanding live kitchens on set and multiple vanity vans fitted with gyms and other luxuries. While he clarified that actors are free to have these comforts if they want them, he felt strongly that it was wrong to shift such costs onto film budgets.

Aamir admitted there can be exceptions when training is directly tied to the role, citing the wrestling training funded by producers during the making of Dangal. But beyond such specific needs, he described the trend of passing personal bills to producers as shameful and harmful to the industry.

He explained that his own principle has been simple—he never asks producers to cover personal costs. Even when travelling with family for outdoor shoots, he has always paid out of his own pocket. He added that stars exploiting their status for such privileges only project themselves negatively in the eyes of both the industry and the audience.