'No Cutting Pay Cheques': Saif Ali Khan's Witty Response To Karan Johar's Comment About Unrealistic Fees Asked By Stars

After Karan Johar made a daring comment regarding actors' high fees, Saif Ali Khan responded by playfully taking it as a request to not "cut pay cheques."

Saif Ali Khan responds to Karan Johar's call to cut star fees.

Source : IMDb & Instagram/@karanjohar

New Delhi: Saif Ali Khan recently reacted to Karan Johar's bold claim about the difficulties of celebrity compensation and the unpredictability of box office successes. In his funny analysis of Karan Johar's comments as an attempt to "cut pay cheques," Saif delved into the intricate economics of the film business. Saif Ali Khan addressed this statement at the India Today Mumbai Conclave 2024.

Karan Johar recently made a comment concerning stars’ incapacity to guarantee box office hits. He voiced his opinion of exorbitant celebrity salaries, pointing to examples of poor box office returns from highly paid stars like Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar. By asking, "How can you ask for Rs 40 crore when the budget is Rs 40 crore?" Karan made it clear that he would no longer pay such fees. 

Saif Ali Khan responded to this by saying, “He wants to cut pay cheques. I am sure he is right, but it makes me a little nervous when we hear about cutting pay cheques. No cutting pay cheques. The economics of our industry is like that. That's what happens—you go to a star, and sometimes they say, 'Hey, if you want me, that's what it is going to cost.' And people pay it. And if people pay it, then sometimes the economics do get skewed. But, Indians are businessmen. So the film industry is primarily a business kind of financial centre in itself and people take shots. But, Karan Johar knows best. I'm just joking."

Extending his response to Karan's worries, Saif admitted that it's untenable for celebrities to charge outrageous fees. “What Karan is talking about is stars charging astronomical amounts and not delivering, which can’t last for long. We don’t charge that much. We’re recession-proof,” he concluded. 

Saif Ali Khan’s Work Front

In his next film ‘Devara: Part 1’, Saif Ali Khan will play the role of Bhairava opposite Jr. NTR and Janhvi Kapoor, who will be making her Telugu film debut.  The film is scheduled to release today (September 27).