Don't charge acting fee, have share in profits: Aamir Khan

Mumbai: Superstars are often accused of charging exorbitant money for working in a movie but Aamir Khan says he has a different model. If the film fails, he gets nothing and if it is successful, he has a higher profit share. The actor said he has always ensured that his producers earn money as it helps secure his career and film choices. 

“I think the script is the foundation. I ensure that once I love the story and the film is in the making, people who are investing money should not face loss. I don’t allow the producer to shoulder the responsibility alone,” Aamir said during an interaction with writer Anjum Rajabali at the Indian Screenwriters press conference here.

Actor Shabana Azmi, who was in the audience, asked the actor about the trend of stars demanding 80 per cent as the fees and how was it possible to make a successful film in 20 per cent. The actor explained that he does not charge money until the film has recovered its costs, promotions budget and producers have earned their profit. 

“My first rupee comes to me when the film’s cost is recovered in every aspect, after the producer’s and everybody else’s money is recovered. That’s the model I work with, and I take a higher cut in the percentage because I am risking my time on that, and I think producers are happy with that too.” 

Aamir believes it is the best business model because in most of his films, “if producer is not losing money, it is but obvious that he will sign me for the next film. That is why I always ensure that if I am signed in a film, there is no loss.”  The 53-year-old actor said he first tried this model with “Lagaan” in 2001.

“Since that film was one of the expensive films of that time and was breaking a lot of rules of mainstream Indian cinema and that is why I felt the importance of taking the responsibility. When I come on board, producers and financiers do not question me on the subject I chose for a film because they trust me, they have faith in me. That is why I want to ensure the profit.