'Wasteful Vanity and Star Lifestyle', filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri Slams Bollywood

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri recently criticized Bollywood’s excessive spending on vanity and the extravagant lifestyles of its stars.

In a tweet responding to a box office report, Agnihotri lamented that actors are paid unrealistic and exorbitant fees despite their lackluster performances.

“Bollywood is in bad shape. Again. Seems as if the entire industry is happy giving unrealistic and exorbitant fees to stars who can’t even guarantee an opening. Most money is wasted in vanity and lifestyle of stars. What’s going wrong?” Agnihotri wrote.

The box office report praised Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan as the highest-grossing film of the year, while other movies, such as Bholaa, Shehzada, and Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar,



failed to meet expectations.

The report also highlighted the current box office clash between Ajay Devgn’s Bholaa and Nani’s Telugu film Dasara.

Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh predicts that Bholaa will reach the ₹50 crore mark at the domestic net box office, while Dasara approaches the ₹100 crore worldwide grossing club. However, both fall far short of the massive box office performance of Pathaan, which became the most successful Hindi film of all time.

Previously, Agnihotri praised Shah Rukh Khan for the success of Pathaan, despite earlier criticisms related to the film’s controversial song Besharam Rang.

The Kashmir Files director credited Khan for saving the film against boycott calls.