Did Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor and Vidya Balan reduce their fees for Udta Punjab and Ishqiya? Abhishek Chaubey reveals

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As a connoisseur of cinema who’s witnessed the behind-the-scenes magic unfold over the years, I find myself deeply inspired by the tales of Abhishek Chaubey. His journey from working on low-budget films like Makdee to directing blockbusters like Ishqiya and Udta Punjab is a testament to his dedication and the power of cost control.

Filmmaker Abhishek Chaubey recently shared insights about his work on smaller-scale films, explaining that stars like Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Diljit Dosanjh accepted lower pay than their standard rates for projects such as Ishqiya and Udta Punjab. Despite these films not being extremely low-budget, the actors chose to reduce their fees.

During the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Abhishek Chaubey discussed his expertise at a seminar named “Micro to Millions: How Low Budget Movies Become Blockbusters.” He explained that while directing films such as Ishqiya featuring Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, and Arshad Warsi, and Udta Punjab starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, and Diljit Dosanjh, he managed to control costs effectively.

In the movies such as Ishqiya and Udta Punjab that he directed, which were not exactly small-budget films, the actors involved agreed to work below their standard fees. In other words, they accepted lower paychecks.

Abhishek pondered on his career path that began with making low-budget movies, tracing it back to his debut film, Makdee, which was made for around 4 million rupees. He reminisced about his experience working with Vishal Bhardwaj in 2002, where he learned the importance of cost management and self-discipline.

Despite facing limitations, he discovered that strict budget management and adherence to discipline were essential for producing successful movies. Additionally, the filmmaker spoke about observing unnecessary spending during his work on expensive Bollywood productions, which he partly blamed on directors and actors.

Through his tenure as an assistant director, he came to understand and value the significance of efficiency and discipline within filmmaking. As a producer, Chaubey aims to produce films that resonate with his personal preferences. He yearns to create movies that cater to his own taste, something he feels is frequently missing in mainstream cinema.

Using his own production firm, MacGuffin Pictures, he was responsible for creating the movie “A Death in the Gunj,” which had a modest budget of approximately 4 to 4.5 crores.

Abhishek narrated the difficulties of filming in Jharkhand with a compact crew and production partner Studioz IDream, who were back into filmmaking after ten years. With a limited budget, the movie managed to turn a profit, demonstrating Chaubey’s ability to juggle creativity and financial limitations effectively.

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2024-11-29 11:53