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Makeup artist Shaan Mutthathil, who has worked in Bollywood for several years, spoke about how much money he makes amid controversy around escalating entourage costs in the film industry. He said that he has worked hard to get to where he is, and that he asks for the money that his experience and reputation command. He also addressed complaints made by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, and admitted that he earns more on movies than even first assistant directors and managers.
Appearing on the Phitte Muh with Sik & Jaz podcast, he said that his contract spells out exactly what he expects in addition of his regular payment. “If your art is good, you can ask exactly like everyone else. For me right now, it’s in my contract that if a bride takes me, (I would need) one business class ticket, two economy class tickets, one five-star hotel room that is closest to the bride. It’s a rule. Of course, they do say, ‘Even assistants are so expensive?’ If the assistant stays somewhere else, he needs to have a car that he can take anytime to come with my kit. I’m very particular when I do a bride right now, I say one business class, two economy, a good hotel for (my assistants), but for me, the closest five-star hotel. They can put you anywhere they want,” he said.
He continued, “For shoots, it’s hours. When you’re young, you can do 14 hours or 15 hours. Bollywood shoot or any other shoot, it doesn’t finish (on time). So, I’m very clear, I’ll give half-an-hour extra, but after that it’s one-and-a-half day shift. Whatever you have paid me I need half amount more, and the actresses I work with know me, and they back me up. I give 12 hours plus half-an-hour, but after that, the people who are making us shoot are making money…”
He said that even he would like stars to be on his chair for an hour extra, but he doesn’t make such demands. “Let’s be clear, nobody is doing seva here,” he said, adding that he doesn’t see a cut of the profits when a film does well at the box office, which is why he asks what he does up-front. But you have to be prepared to be replaced.
Shaan said that someone in his position can ask for upwards of Rs 1 lakh per day on a shoot, and defended his right to do so, even as others working on a film remain under-paid in comparison. Shaan has worked with actors such as Jacqueline Fernandez and Shraddha Kapoor, among many others. He has also done hair and makeup for over 1,000 brides, by his own estimation. The Indian Express has reported extensively on the escalating entourage costs in Bollywood recently.
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