Bollywood continues to grapple with mounting box office disappointments, where rare blockbusters like Chhaava and Saiyaara shine amidst frequent failures. But beyond theatrical numbers, another concern weighing heavily on producers is the spiralling cost of celebrity entourages. Despite years of debate, the practice of stars traveling with large teams — whose expenses are covered by production companies remains unresolved.
Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore recently addressed the issue while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter India. Since her family’s ancestral property, Pataudi Palace, is frequently rented out for film shoots, Tagore has observed first-hand how the trend has escalated. “I know about all of this because we rent out Pataudi Palace. There’ll be a secretary, a cook, and a masseuse. So, that’s six to seven people right there, and that must be costing a lot to producers,” she remarked.
Pataudi Palace, valued at around Rs 800 crores according to Architectural Digest India, is spread across 10 acres and boasts 150 rooms, including seven bedrooms, seven dressing rooms, and seven billiard rooms. Passed down from Iftikhar Ali Khan to Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the estate is now owned by actor Saif Ali Khan.
Tagore further noted how vanity vans have become symbols of status. “I hear there are now makeup rooms, sitting rooms, sleeping rooms and discussion rooms. The bigger the size of the vanity, the bigger the status of the star, apparently,” she said.
Comparing the present with earlier generations, the two-time National Award-winning actor added, “Back in the day, movies of stars like Dilip Kumar ji and Waheeda Rahman ji would run to packed theatres for a time. People knew Dev Anand’s films would have good music… they always fulfilled the expectations people had from them, and they recovered the money spent on their films. I believe that’s not the case anymore. Am I right?”
Tagore, who debuted with Satyajit Ray’s Apur Sansar (1959) and was last seen in Gulmohar (2023), remains a powerful voice in Bollywood, reflecting on how both cinema and stardom have evolved.
The post Sharmila Tagore reveals how stars’ entourages are driving up film budgets at Pataudi Palace: “It must be costing a lot to producers” appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
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