# Subhash Ghai says young actors now put money ahead of their craft

Published 2026-10-16T13:37:36Z

> Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai says commerce now drives actors, and recalls that most stars in his films took just 40 per cent of their price because the story and role mattered more.

Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai believes commerce now rules the film business, with younger actors putting money ahead of their craft.

Speaking in a recent interview, Ghai said most stars in his films worked for only 40 per cent of their usual price. Back then, he said, actors picked a project for the director, the story and the role, and trusted that the money would follow.

Ask a young actor to do the same today and, by his account, four managers and three PR people would step in. Actors now have many ways to earn outside films, Ghai added. But that fame is seasonal. It fades in three or four years, and someone new takes the spot.

He named Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn as proof that dedication lasts. All four have worked for close to 40 years, Ghai said, because nothing comes before their shoot or their scenes. Younger stars who get a big payday and rush to buy a big car will learn with time, he added.

The director also remembered Dilip Kumar, who acted in his films Vidhaata, Karma and Saudagar and whom he saw as an elder brother. When Ghai asked him whether to start a studio or a film school, Dilip Kumar told him to open an institute, since he explained things well and came from FTII.

On the rise of streaming, Ghai said cinema will hold its ground. He pointed to Dharmendra, who filled theatres for 40 to 50 years without OTT. Saudagar, which brought Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar together, could never work as a microdrama, he said, because the big screen needs big ideas, big frames, big locations and larger than life characters.

## Related people
- [Subhash Ghai](https://clapnumber.com/celebrities/subhash-ghai)

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Retrieved: 2026-10-16