The rising salaries of male actors in the Hindi film industry have sparked concern, particularly as major stars like Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn have seen only modest box office openings of 3 to 4 crores for their films.

At a roundtable discussion hosted by Hollywood Reporter India, Karan Johar emphasized the necessity for male stars to rethink their fee structures. Zoya Akhtar supported this viewpoint, saying, “They may not recognize it, but Karan, you must stop paying them.” In response, Karan revealed that he has begun to reduce hefty salaries for male stars.

Karan questioned the recent performance of these stars, asking, “If a film has a budget of 40 crores, how can I pay you that much? Can you assure me it will make 120 crores?” He noted that he had to cast a new actor in his film Kill because big stars had rejected the opportunity.

He pointed out that only a handful of male actors are viable options, despite over 200 films being produced each year, suggesting that producers should focus on nurturing younger talent by accepting lower pay themselves. Zoya stressed the importance of fairly compensating technical teams, as male stars currently claim 70% of film budgets.

Karan remarked that some young male stars expect 40 crores but do not take creative risks with their roles.

Karan Johar’s film *Kill*, which premiered in July and was directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhatt, was co-produced by Johar’s Dharma Productions alongside Guneet Monga’s Sikkiya Entertainment.

The film marked Lakshya’s debut in Bollywood and included a cast featuring Raghu Joel, Tanya Maniktala, and Ashish Vidyarthi. Set on a moving train, it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and earned 24.2 crores at the Indian box office.