Piyush Mishra says Bollywood has 'ajeeb sa stardom', slams entourage cost, "8-9 people will come with them, 12-14 bodyguards’

Piyush Mishra says Bollywood has 'ajeeb sa stardom', slams entourage cost, "8-9 people will come with them, 12-14 bodyguards’

Piyush Mishra has never been the kind to sugarcoat his thoughts, and this week he turned his sharp eye toward what he sees as a growing problem in Bollywood: the oversized entourage culture that has quietly but steadily taken over film sets.

His comments land at a moment when several industry voices, including Karan Johar and Farah Khan, have been warning that the ballooning cost of actor entourages is putting unnecessary pressure on productions.

In a chat with Curly Tales, Piyush drew a clear contrast between the Hindi film ecosystem and the working style he experienced in the South, especially during Indian 2 with director S Shankar. He described that set as refreshingly humble, saying, “He is such a big director, but he came to introduce himself to me. I thought, such a big person, and he’s speaking so humbly. The culture there is amazing.”

Once he shifted to Bollywood, the tone changed. Piyush didn’t hold back while calling out what he described as a strange, inflated idea of stardom. “Ajeeb sa stardom hai,” he said. “They have a lot of hang-ups. The actors have such a long entourage; 8-9 people will come with them, along with 12-14 bodyguards. Kya zarurat hai? Akeli jaan ho, aapko kaun maarne araha hai?” He went on to break down the excess with biting clarity: one person to hand over water, another to make you drink it, someone just for hair, someone else just for makeup. “Kya zarurat hai dusron pe itna bhoj daalne ki?”

Piyush made it clear that he avoids this setup altogether. He travels with only a make-up artist and a manager, nothing beyond that. He also singled out Ranbir Kapoor as one of the rare younger stars who keeps things simple and professional. Their collaborations on Rockstar, Sanju and Tamasha made him appreciate Ranbir’s no-drama approach on set.

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His criticism lines up with the larger debate unfolding in the industry. Farah Khan recently spoke about the massive shift she has witnessed over the decades. In her vlog with Rakesh Roshan, she described today’s film units as carnivals. “Now people travel with at least 200 people. It looks like a fair. They walk like elephants. An actor’s entourage alone has at least 20 people. Others have a separate van for their private chef, who makes salad worth Rs 40,000. It’s just boiled chicken and salad. Hats off to all the producers!”

For Piyush Mishra, who built his career on craft rather than theatrics, the growing obsession with excess reflects a deeper cultural drift. His candour offers a reminder that simplicity, respect and professionalism still matter. He was last seen in the 2025 film Crazxy, but it’s clear that off-screen too, he remains one of the industry’s most grounded voices, refusing to play along when the spectacle overshadows the work.