Not burdening a film with star fee can decide its survival and of those engaged in making it, says actor-producer Riteish Deshmukh, stressing that he doesn't charge a single penny when he casts himself in a project backed by his banner.
Deshmukh, who is set to make his series debut with Pill, ventured into film production with the 2013 Marathi movie Balak-Palak under Mumbai Film Company. He later starred in Lai Bhaari (2014) and Ved (2022), both Marathi titles produced by his stable.
Asked to comment on the ongoing debate about rising star fee and overhead costs, the actor-producer told the media: “I’m a producer who casts me and I don’t pay myself, so I’m fine... I just feel that it's important that you do not burden any film with an actor’s fee because the film needs to survive. And if the film survives, everyone will survive.”
Helmed by director Rajkumar Gupta, Pill showcases the dark reality of the pharmaceutical world of making medicine from the lens of medical officers and whistleblowers.
Produced by Ronnie Screwvala under his banner RSVP Movies, the series will start streaming on JioCinema Premium from July 12.
Gupta, known for films such as Aamir and Raid, said the overall cost of production needs to come down.
“The money needs to be spent in the right place. Having said that, there also needs to be transparency from the studio or producer’s side. A lot of times what happens is people don’t want to subscribe to a model because they think that there is no transparency.
Pill, set in north India, will see Deshmukh play the role of a medical officer called Dr Prakash Chauhan.
The actor said he worked closely with a dialect coach to get into the skin of the character.
Pill also features Pavan Malhotra in a pivotal role.
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