Star Bucks and Net Appeal

The new 'spoilers' on the scene are the corporate production houses. Flush with public funds, they don't bat an eyelid before paying obscenely high fees to the stars. And it isn't just the stars who get the moolah in good measure. Directors are also in for a good time, thanks to corporatisation. We hear, for instance, that post Fanaa, Kunal Kohli was offered a film by a corporate house for a directorial fee of Rs 5 crores!

Frankly, directors have never had it as good as now, thanks to corporatisation. The other reason for directors being able to command such fat fees is that most of the topline directors have their own banners and they make films only for their own companies. There are very few makers like David Dhawan, who have resisted the temptation to turn producer, and are open to directing for other banners. Rajkumar Santoshi charged Rs. 4 crores for Khakee even though his precious four films were commercial flops. As an industry wag remarked, .Maybe he wanted a crore for every dabba film he delivered before Khakee!.

But still, since the corporates are willing to pay, filmmakers are willing to be paid. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a producer himself, but Sony/Columbia are his co-producers for his new flick, Saawariya. Ashutosh Gowariker did the same thing two years ago, when UTV funded his Shah Rukh starrer, Swades. Ashutosh got Rs 40 million for his direction of Swades, but Bhansali is being paid Rs 100 million for Saawariya.