‘DILIP KUMAR CHARGED RS 12 LAKH FOR A FILM…’: SALIM KHAN RECALLS PROVING ABRAR ALVI WRONG BY EARNING MORE THAN STARS
The legendary Salim Khan, best known for having written blockbuster films as a part of the Salim-Javed duo, recalled how dire the situation was for screenwriters in Bollywood when he was assisting Abrar Alvi, who wrote several of Guru Dutt's films. Khan revealed that in those days, writers were not just undervalued, but also underpaid. He broke barriers for screenwriters, and accomplished what Alvi had once declared was 'impossible'.
In an interview with NDTV, Salim Khan said, "You would feel sorry for the writers for the way they were treated back then. Their remuneration was so less that they had to make excuses to get money from the producers. During those days, just being paid on time was a big deal for the writers, there was no question of them being paid same as the actors. They always had to list reasons to the producers to be paid. They would say, 'I need money to pay my daughter's fees', or, 'I have to pay electricity bills'."
But, Salim Khan changed the trend. He recalled, "When I came to the industry and began to work as an actor, I realised that the most important thing about a film is its script. If the script is not up to the mark or if the content is not interesting, there is no way a film can become successful. Every film that worked back then had an amazing script. Only a good script can give opportunities to actors to shine."
He then recalled a conversation he had with his boss, Abrar Alvi. He said, "One day, I was having a conversation with Abrar Alvi, and I told him, 'There will come a time when writers will be paid same as actors'. He was shocked. Despite having heard my statement, he asked, 'What did you say?' I repeated myself. He warned me, 'Do not ever repeat this in front of anybody. They will call you mad'. I said, 'Why not?'. He explained, 'Dilip Kumar charged Rs 12 lakh for a film, you think anybody would pay that much to a writer?' Even the most famous writers used to be paid just Rs 10,000 at that point in time. I said, 'When people will realise that a film succeeds because of its script, they will pay. Irritated, he said, 'I don't want to argue with you. Please don't repeat this in front of anybody else.'"
Years passed, and eventually, the actor-turned-writer met Javed Akhtar, and together, they formed the Salim-Javed duo. They wrote scripts for films such as Zanjeer, Sholay, Deewaar, Trishul and Shakti, among others. While Salim Khan would largely develop the stories and characters, Javed Akhtar would focus on developing the dialogues.
Khan then revealed, how after a point, they were being paid more than the actors for their scripts. He recalled, "I wouldn't want to name the film, but it happened so that I was paid more than the actor for my story. I immediately called Abrar Alvi and asked him, 'Do you remember when I told you? Do you remember when I said that there will come a time when writers will be paid same as actors?' He said, 'I remember very well. I know you guys are doing well.' I interrupted him. I said, 'I have charged more than the actor.'
He revealed he once had a discussion with a film producer and inquired about the actor's remuneration for the project. It was Rs 12 lakh. "I demanded Rs 12.5 lakh and he immediately agreed," he said, adding that the producer didn't believe his ears. "He was fearing I would demand over Rs 20 lakh, such was the demand for scripts," he said.
Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar's life and career were recently honoured in the Prime Video series Angry Young Men, which also pointed out that writers are still disrespected and underpaid in the industry. In an interview with the indianexpress.com, veteran writer Anjum Rajabali said, "When a writer goes to negotiate his/her fees, the makers often say, 'Oh no, not this much, you are a new writer.'"
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2024-09-07T06:44:51Z dg43tfdfdgfd