Why are actors taking to Film Production? It is true that as co-producers, actors make more money but is money the only benchmark?
Kamal Haasan, versatile Indian actor, disagrees says, ‘Money isn’t everything.’ He explains, ‘An actor’s decisive factor is character strength. If a role challenges and allows exploration, I’d do it for half of my fee. The problem is a lack of innovative scripts and challenging roles.’ He added, ‘Hence, I entered film production. As a producer, I command script selection and can play daring, unique roles like in Chachi 420, Hey Ram, and Vishwaroop II, which give me solace.’
Actor John Abraham’s JA Entertainment
John Abraham, a Bollywood actor, gained stardom with Dhoom, but more so as a producer. His company, JA Entertainment, boasts a perfect success rate. He launched it in 2012 with the super hit Vicky Donor, earning both commercial and critical acclaim, plus a National Film Award. His other films such as Madras Cafe(2013), Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran (2018), and Batla House (2019) were all super hits. Even Rocky Handsome(2016) and Force 2 (2016) were average hits.
The actor John Abraham says, “As a producer, I produce films in which the content is the hero. For Vicky Donor, everybody raised eyebrows but I was sure the unique subject would be appreciated.” He adds, “Before joining films I worked as advertising planner at Enterprise Nexus Communications Private Limited and planned advertising campaigns for top brands like The Times of India. This job helped me understand not only audience segmentation but also the demographics of an audience. Hence while making Vicky Donor I was confident of its success. We made the film for Rs 15 crore and the film collected Rs 66 Crore!”
Actor Aamir Khan’s Aamir Khan Productions
Aamir Khan Productions, loke John Abraham’s boasts a perfect success rate with all six films being hits. His first production, Lagaan (2000), cost Rs. 25 crore and grossed Rs. 75 crore worldwide. A film trade editor notes that Aamir Khan masters both creative filmmaking and marketing. His productions, even those with lesser-known supporting casts such as Peepli Live, Delhi Belly and Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na, succeded due to strong content. Filsm such as Taare Zameen Par, Secret Superstar, and Dangal feature him as the sole star with new actors, allowing for lower budgets. Strong content consistently leads his films to the box-office wonders.
A veteran film trade journalist says, “There is a dearth of good story writers hence most of the actors’ production houses have created their own creative teams who explore ideas and work on high-quality content.”
Read – Secret Behind Akshay Kumar And Ajay Devgn success As Producers – Part 6
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