Exclusive! JD Majethia on stars’ requirements: ‘Once actors become popular, they demand more money’

In Pic: JD Majethia

Jamnadas Majethia is one of the finest actors in the Indian entertainment world, but that's not all. He often dons his producer's hat to let the audience witness the magic of comedy. In his career, he has given us shows like Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Khichdi, and most recently, Wagle Ki Duniya, to name a few. With the buzz about actors' rising demands gaining momentum, Midday.com asked him about the reality of this issue, and his reply was quite surprising. In an interview with Midday.com, JD Majethia talked about how producers are affected by the increasing demands of actors, shared a personal incident, and much more.

JD Majethia in a conversation started the conversation by saying, "I have always faced this challenge because the job of a producer is the most demanding. Because a producer is a giver, and everyone else is a taker. Despite the role of an actor, there are 50 different people involved." "Managing everything, from 125-150 people on a regular shoot to 300-350 for a big film or OTT production, makes it difficult to keep everyone happy. Those who are replaceable or feel they can get similar work elsewhere might negotiate for less money and maintain a bit of power. But, once an actor gets popular, the producer becomes vulnerable, and many take advantage of this," he further added.

While sharing his personal experiences, the Sarabhai vs Sarabhai producer shared, "Yes, I have faced situations when I was vulnerable. Many times, actors look at their popularity and demand more money. We often have to explain that this is not a film; even if the show gains popularity, we don't necessarily get more money from it. So, how can we pay them more?"

He further talked about how negotiating with the actors on their increment is a tough job, "Negotiations can be very complicated. We negotiate increments with the channel, and the channel negotiates with us, and then we have to negotiate with the artists and technicians. Some artists find it hard to accept a 10% increase."
Further, he shared a story when Satish Shah was not happy with the check he got for Sara Bhai vs Sara Bhai. He said, "We aim to produce great content, that matches the stature of everyone involved. When I started as a new producer, I told Satish ji that he would remember this work for a lifetime. Initially, he was sceptical, but our journey was so superb that when we did the second season, Satish ji was the only actor who trusted me completely. He even said to finish the season before worrying about payments."

JD continued and said, "When the season was complete and we earned decently, I took the cheque book to his house. He told me to fill it with a fair amount, and we were both happy with the outcome. As a fan of Satish Shah since childhood, working with him was a dream come true. Similarly, working with other legends like Sarita Joshi, who has seen me grow and understands the challenges of a producer, has been remarkable. Sarita even said she wouldn't mind if I didn't give her an increment because of the trust and relationship we have built."

Jamnadas Majethia owns Hats Off Productions, the team currently behind Sony SAB's popular show Wagle Ki Duniya.