Kamal Haasan pens open letter on rising cinema costs: 'Every rupee spent must serve the film, not extravagance'
ETimes | May 16, 2026 12:39 AM CST
Tamil veteran Kamal Haasan recently shared an open letter to the Indian film industry , asking everyone to work together during this difficult time as the world is facing many problems because of the continuing crisis in West Asia. He talked about the increasing fuel prices, energy costs, transport expenses, and production budgets as the Indian film industry is also feeling this pressure very strongly.
In his long message on Instagram, Kamal Haasan said film budgets are already becoming very high and the situation may become more difficult in the coming months. He also spoke about how inflation could change the way people spend money on entertainment. He said producers, workers, theatres, distributors, financiers, and others connected to cinema may all face problems if costs continue to rise.
Kamal Haasan adds that workers should not sufferThe ‘Indian’ actor clearly said cinema should grow in a healthy way. He mentioned that every rupee spent on filmmaking should help the film itself and not just create a big appearance. The note reads, “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.”
“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,” it read.
Calls for industry-wide meetingThe veteran actor requested everyone in the film industry to come together for discussions. He invited producers, actors, directors, unions, studios, exhibitors, distributors, OTT platforms, and guilds to have a proper conversation about the future. He said the industry should focus on better shooting discipline, tighter schedules, reducing luxury expenses, saving energy on sets, and reusing materials whenever possible.
“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,” he further stated.
In the end, the ‘Thug Life’ actor said that those who have received the most from cinema should lead by example first. According to him, protecting cinema economics today will help protect the future of cinema tomorrow.
In his long message on Instagram, Kamal Haasan said film budgets are already becoming very high and the situation may become more difficult in the coming months. He also spoke about how inflation could change the way people spend money on entertainment. He said producers, workers, theatres, distributors, financiers, and others connected to cinema may all face problems if costs continue to rise.
Kamal Haasan adds that workers should not sufferThe ‘Indian’ actor clearly said cinema should grow in a healthy way. He mentioned that every rupee spent on filmmaking should help the film itself and not just create a big appearance. The note reads, “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.”
Kamal Haasan shared that the real problem is unnecessary spending. He pointed out issues like poor planning, big entourages, avoidable foreign travel, production delays, and wasteful expenses that do not help the film.
“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,” it read.
Calls for industry-wide meetingThe veteran actor requested everyone in the film industry to come together for discussions. He invited producers, actors, directors, unions, studios, exhibitors, distributors, OTT platforms, and guilds to have a proper conversation about the future. He said the industry should focus on better shooting discipline, tighter schedules, reducing luxury expenses, saving energy on sets, and reusing materials whenever possible.
“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,” he further stated.
In the end, the ‘Thug Life’ actor said that those who have received the most from cinema should lead by example first. According to him, protecting cinema economics today will help protect the future of cinema tomorrow.
READ NEXT
-
Nagpada Police Arrest Two Accused in Kamathipura Daylight Robbery Case
-
Karnataka: Six men break into jewellery shop; loot gold, silver worth over Rs 40 lakh
-
Farmers' land being grabbed for profiteering in Bidadi Township project, claims Deve Gowda
-
ISL: Can the Kolkata derby decide the elite league winners tomorrow?
-
Gujarat Titans Opt to Bowl First Against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026 Clash
