Sanjai still can’t demand desired fee
There are different benchmarks for talent and popularity in the film industry. So, while the likes of Sanjai Mishra might be getting to showcase their acting prowess with more screen time in films, their pay packets are yet to see a boom, as they’re not “as popular” as the lead stars.
“When you are in the lead, there is money being invested in you; you are treated with special care by the production [team]. We, on the other hand, are told ‘Aapki wajah se film bik rahi hai, lekin zyaada badi wajah hero hai (The film is being accepted because of you, but the hero is a bigger reason for the film’s popularity). There’s a difference,” says Mishra, who has been working in Bollywood for more than two decades. Apart from famously playing comic roles, he has also done films such as Kadwi Hawa and Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain.
The actor admits that the remuneration for ‘supporting actors’ is “better” now, thanks to a rise in the number of content-driven films, but he still can’t demand the fee he desires. “I still live in a rented house, I need money to buy a house, but I think that’s more to do with my attitude problem. I ask the makers to first show me their work, then I will agree (to act). But a little negotiation does take place. Also, sometimes I tend to take emotional decisions considering I have worked with that filmmaker before. You don’t realise that emotional decision might be a bad one until later,” says Mishra.