Producer Mukesh Bhatt says 'if Bollywood can't afford Mahesh Babu, then very good' | Exclusive

In an exclusive interview with IndiaToday.in, producer Mukesh Bhatt said that he's not offended with Mahesh Babu's 'Bollywood cannot afford me' comment. Mukesh said that he understands Mahesh Babu's stardom.

Producer Mukesh Bhatt, in an exclusive interview with IndiaToday.in, opened up about Mahesh Babu's 'Bollywood cannot afford me' remark. He said that there was nothing wrong with what Mahesh Babu said. Recently, during Adivi Sesh's press meet, the Sarileru Neekevvaru actor said, "Bollywood can't afford me." This caused a huge uproar on social media.

Mahesh Babu ruffled a few feathers when he said that he wouldn't waste his time in Bollywood, an industry that he thinks cannot afford him.

Speaking exclusively with IndiaToday.in, producer Mukesh Bhatt said, “If Bollywood can't afford his price, then very good. I wish him all the best. I respect where he comes from. He has talent and he has an ‘X’ value for the talent that he has generated over the years. He is a very successful actor and keeping to his requisite of what he wants to get in terms of gratification of our films, if Bollywood cannot work to his expectations, then there is nothing wrong with it. I wish him all the best. Each one to its own."

He continued, "Why should anyone be offended by anybody's price tag? If I have to work for somebody for free, it is my choice. If I am charging Rs 100 crore for something, it is my choice as well. Having said that, there is no fixed price in our industry. I have worked with an actor who worked for half the price of how much he originally quoted and visa-versa. Here, directors, actors, heroes, and their fees change person-to-person based on our associations. This industry is a dispensary of human emotions - it is not a mortal industry. Various factors determine the pricing of an actor, director, or film. It depends on his [the actor's] relationship with the makers or his desire to work with a particular filmmaker. Sometimes, it so happens that if an actor has a desire to work with a very successful director and when it happens, the actor ends up working for free or some people just go out of their way to do things. I respect that emotion and we work on those emotions."

What does he make of the recent debate between Kiccha Sudeep and Ajay Devgn on the 'Hindi language not being our National Language' comment? He said, "I don't think we should go into that. I don't cater to this nonsense of national language. India is a diverse country and that is the beauty of this country. It's the uniqueness of India. That is the strength of India and it should remain strong and healthy."