Imran Khan is preparing his return to cinema with Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos. During a recent appearance on Samdish Bhatia's podcast, the actor opened up about how casting decisions are often made in Hindi cinema and shared his thoughts on the compensation demanded by today's biggest stars.
During the conversation, Imran also talked about one of his previous films. Vishal Bhardwaj's Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola was initially supposed to star Ajay Devgn, but it was cast later. Ajay left the project early on and the role was eventually given to Imran. But he said the decision had less to do with creative fit and more to do with financial logistics.
He spoke about the film and shared his analysis on the casting. Imran noted that he was chosen because he had given some hits at the time and would have helped with the budget. He shared, "The casting approach is completely based on budget, even now. It has nothing to do with the actor. Nobody cares if you are the right actor for the role. They just ask, 'How much money can I get with him?' That's how I ended up being cast in Matru. On my back, they could get X amount of money."
The discussion then moved to the earnings of the top stars in the industry today. Asked about the pay scale of A-list actors, Imran quipped: "If you are a star in cinema films today, you don't earn less than 30 crores per film. All the people of my age, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor, don't earn less than 30 crores. I would be surprised if any of them earns less than that."
He also raised concerns about the growing income disparity within film productions. He suggested that at some point the numbers stop adding up. Imran noted that when comparing the lead actor's compensation to what the rest of the cast and crew collectively earn, it can seem disproportionate and difficult to justify.
On the work front, he will next be seen in Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, directed by Vir Das and Kavi Shastri. The film is scheduled to hit theaters on January 16, 2026.
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