Kamal Haasan urges film industry to cut excess amid West Asia crisis

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Inflated budgets, soaring entourage expenses, and unnecessary wastage of money just to project scale have long been persistent issues in the Indian film industry. Over the years, several A-list actors and producers have voiced concerns about these challenges. Most recently, Kamal Haasan addressed the industry directly, urging stakeholders to adopt “practical and sustainable operating practices for efficient filmmaking.”

On Friday evening, Haasan took to X to post a detailed note with the caption, “My appeal to our Industry.” Referencing the ongoing crisis in West Asia, which has escalated over the past few months due to military clashes between Iran and U.S.-Israeli forces beginning around February, the actor-filmmaker highlighted its economic ripple effects on India. He warned that these developments could soon impact the film industry as consumer behaviour and spending patterns shift.

In his note, he wrote: “The continuing crisis in West Asia is deepening and the world is facing growing pressure on energy, trade, logistics, and economic stability. India too is inevitably feeling the impact of rising fuel, energy, logistics, and production costs. For the Indian film industry, this comes at a time when budgets are already escalating and market recoveries remain uneven. Rising costs will not affect film production alone. Consumer spending patterns for entertainment may also change in the months ahead due to inflationary pressures.”

Kamal Haasan emphasized that the burden of these rising costs should not fall on those who work hardest in the industry, adding: “The burden will inevitably fall on producers, workers, theatres, distributors, financiers, and the entire ecosystem. If cinema must continue to grow, we must ensure that every rupee spent serves the film, and not merely the appearance of scale. Let me be clear. Any correction in cinema economics must never come at the cost of workers’ wages, safety, dignity, food, transport, accommodation, or humane working conditions. The burden cannot fall on those who labour the hardest.”

‘Inflated entourage culture, poor planning’

He suggested that the solution lies not in cutting corners on workers but in addressing inefficiencies elsewhere: “The correction we need is elsewhere: in avoidable waste, poor planning, inflated entourage culture, unnecessary foreign travel, production delays, and the growing disconnect between spending and purpose. Why must every love story bloom only in Paris, and every honeymoon end in Switzerland? Romance, fortunately, does not require foreign exchange. Indian cinema, and Indians, deserve a little more confidence in themselves and our beautiful country.”

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‘Extravagance has often been mistaken for scale’

Calling for a collective approach, Kamal Haasan urged a dialogue across the industries: “I believe this is the right time for a meeting of minds across the Indian cinema industry. I urge an industry-wide conversation between producers, actors, directors, unions, studios, exhibitors, distributors, OTT platforms, and guilds towards an industry-wide dialogue on how we collectively navigate the economic challenges ahead.”

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He also offered practical solutions for sustainable filmmaking: “Together, we must evolve practical and sustainable operating practices for efficient filmmaking: better shooting discipline, tighter schedules, reduced luxury and entourage expenses, limiting avoidable foreign travel where suitable local alternatives exist, conserving energy across sets and studios, and encouraging sustainable set construction and reuse of materials. Extravagance has often been mistaken for scale. But some of our greatest films were made not with excess, but with clarity, discipline, and conviction.”

Concluding his note, Haasan stressed the importance of prioritizing the nation’s interests over individual professional gain, writing, “If we protect the economics of cinema today, we protect the future of cinema tomorrow.”

My appeal to our Industry.@ficci_india @producers_guild @tfpcin @TFPCOffl @kfpaofficial @TFCCofficial @imppa_official @federation_film @fwicemum @aifecsocial @aicwaofficial @tfapatn #SouthIndianFilmChamberOfCommerce #NorthernIndiaMotionPicturesAssociation… pic.twitter.com/24WXgYlbHN