4 months ago
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The entourage costs of Bollywood stars have been a hot topic lately, with filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap criticising them as unnecessary. Shaan Mutthathil, one of Bollywood’s highest-paid makeup artists, who has worked with stars like Jacqueliene Fernandez and Rani Mukerji, recently responded to Kashyap’s comments. Mutthathil argued that Kashyap’s films don’t require celebrity makeup artists because his heroines often wear simple cotton sarees and need minimal makeup.
In a podcast on the YouTube channel ‘Phitte Muh With Sik & Jas’, Mutthathil discussed the high fees charged by celebrity makeup artists and hairstylists, including himself. He emphasised that everyone in the industry aims to make money and charges for the expertise they’ve acquired over the years. He questioned if Kashyap, after directing several hit films, would accept the fee of a new director.
Mutthathil acknowledged that jealousy exists in the industry because makeup artists and hairstylists often earn more than managers, first ADs, and assistants of DOP. He explained that only a select few makeup artists earn lakhs, while millions of other artists in Mumbai do not.
Addressing Kashyap’s statement, Mutthathil said, “Of course he can lose his s**t” when hearing about Rs 1.5 lakh fees for makeup and hair, as his films typically don’t require such services. “His film is in some village with the cotton saree of Rs 250, she wakes up, and she cries,” he said, adding that Kashyap’s films don’t feature scenes requiring elaborate makeup, like slow-motion hair blowing or close-ups of lips.
Mutthathil contrasted Kashyap’s stance with that of Karan Johar, who acknowledged the importance of makeup and hair artists. Shaan said, “He was very clear. He said that the heroines are charging more, and that the actors have to reduce their price. Because he knows the importance of makeup and hair. Why does he call Mickey Contractor? Why does he call Manish Malhotra and not a C-grade stylist? He’s making a commercial film with that budget. He’s not crying about Mickey Contractor, who charges a really good amount. A choreographer also charges Rs 1 crore per song. Do you pay everybody Rs 1 crore per song?”
Anurag Kashyap is known for directing films like ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Dev D’, ‘No Smoking’, ‘Black Friday’, and ‘Ugly’. He has also been praised for his acting in films like ‘AK vs AK’ and ‘Maharaja’. Currently, Kashyap is working on a thriller featuring Bobby Deol, Sanya Malhotra, Saba Azad, and Joju George.
