3 min readMumbaiFeb 12, 2026 09:56 AM IST
Ratna Pathak Shah doesn’t approve of the extensive entourage system that’s a key part of the Hindi film industry today. While she understands that security for young actors and a one-point contact person for organising their day is essential, the actor can’t wrap her head around the costs that a massive entourage bears and the impact they have not only on the producer, but also the actor and their instincts.
“I think it’s a waste of time as far as I can see. But you can look at it like it’s running a lot of households. The entourage gets paid. The producer keeps crying. And if the film doesn’t work, he cries even more. But he remains hopeful that his film would do Rs 1000 crore this time, so even he stays mum,” Ratna shared with Pinkvilla.
“It’s a self-feeding system that we’ve created. Once it bloats up beyond a point, that bubble will burst. We’ll have to wait till then I suppose because it seems people don’t want to take decisions individually right now,” she said and added, “I can’t even decide what I want to wear. Someone else is shopping and accessorising for me. I don’t want this infantilisation of myself. I’ve lived 68 years. I don’t want to become a child again. That’s already happened,” added Ratna.
She confessed that she doesn’t know how the huge entourage helps an actor’s work. And in the same breath, she also called out the incompetency that some crew members show on set, including the costume department. “They paid much more than today than what poor dress dadas got. And therefore, I get very upset. Why aren’t you giving it all?,” she said, adding, “But frankly, it’s not my business to change their mindset. So I keep my mouth shut. And I’ve learnt that also. And I’ve also learnt how does it benefit anyone? Some people get it. Most do0n’t. Those who don’t, life will teach them slowly and surely. Why should I do all that hard work?”
Entourage costs are making headlines recently because of a brand manager claiming that Pushpa superstar Allu Arjun has a huge entourage which enforces 42 rules of interacting with him, including a list of Do’s and Don’ts. These include not making eye contact with him, and keeping a one-arm distance. She even alleged that his security snatched her phone away once Arjun entered the room.
Also Read: Why Rajpal Yadav couldn’t repay his Rs 9 cr debt despite earning in crores, having a 30-year career
Now, Arjun’s team has rubbished these claims. “Certain recent comments made about Mr Allu Arjun are completely baseless and untrue. He has always conducted himself with the utmost dignity and honour. We take these false allegations seriously. Our legal team is initiating defamation proceedings against those responsible. We request everyone to refrain from spreading unverified information,” read the statement.
