Priyadarshan did not hold back while calling out a culture in Hindi cinema that many insiders discuss only behind closed doors. During promotions for Bhooth Bangla, the director described actors’ oversized entourages as the “worst thing” happening in Bollywood, saying the clutter around stars often gets so excessive that it disrupts the very process of making a film.
His remarks have landed at a time when the industry is already grappling with rising production costs, tighter margins and constant questions about efficiency on set. For a filmmaker known for precision, staging and timing, this was not merely a complaint about inconvenience. It was a direct critique of a working culture that, in his view, has drifted away from the discipline filmmaking demands.
Priyadarshan’s Sharp Take On Bollywood Entourages
In his interview with Filmfare, Priyadarshan said, “I tell you, I hate it. That’s the worst thing happening in Bollywood. Where four actors are there, 40 to 60 people are also there with them, so I can’t even see my frame. They’re all around, touching the hair, nothing to touch, most of them don’t even have hair, so what they’re doing there? And I’m saying, ‘please clear, please clear’. There is so much crowd. The paraphernalia around actors is more than my entire setup.”
He also drew a firm contrast with southern film industries, saying stars there have teams, but those members stay away from the set and step in only when required. In Bollywood, he suggested, entourage members often remain present through active filming itself, crowding a space that directors need to keep tightly controlled.
Priyadarshan then made a telling comparison involving veteran actor Asrani, saying some entourage members today earn more than actors of his generation once did. That observation gave his criticism extra bite, framing it not simply as irritation with star culture, but as a sign of how sharply priorities on film sets have shifted.
Why Bhooth Bangla Has Put The Spotlight On His Remarks
The comments gained even more traction because they surfaced during the promotional campaign for Bhooth Bangla, Priyadarshan’s horror comedy with Akshay Kumar. The film also features Tabu, Wamiqa Gabbi, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav, Jisshu Sengupta, Manoj Joshi and Mithila Palkar. Produced by Balaji Motion Pictures and Cape of Good Films, the project brings together a filmmaker and star pairing long associated with some of Hindi cinema’s most popular comedies.
That reunion has naturally sparked nostalgia, but Priyadarshan’s comments have ensured the conversation is not limited to the film alone. Instead, Bhooth Bangla promotions have become the backdrop for a wider industry debate about who truly needs to be on a set, and how unchecked entourage culture can affect both budget and workflow.
Why Priyadarshan’s Critique Resonates Now
The sting in Priyadarshan’s remarks comes from experience. He has worked across industries, generations of actors and shifting production models, which gives his criticism an authority that is difficult to dismiss as nostalgia. At a time when Bollywood is under pressure to make films more efficiently and restore audience trust, his comments land as a reminder that the problem is not always on screen. Sometimes, it begins behind the camera, in the growing crowd around it.
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