The negative impact of the pandemic on the world of showbiz has been massive and much talked about — shoots stalled, theatres shut down and livelihoods affected. Now, as the industry gradually regains a semblance of normality, one may assume that actors will be asked to take a pay cut to cover losses. However, it’s quite the opposite. As OTT witnesses a soaring demand in content consumption, actors are demanding a salary hike.

Our source reveals, “About a year-and-a-half back, actor Gulshan Devaiah was demanding Rs. 40-50 lakhs. But now he is asking for Rs. 2 crores. The same goes for actors Harshvardhan Rane and Vikrant Massey. They were getting Rs. 75 lakhs to Rs. 1 crore and they have now started asking for Rs. 1.5 crores. That, too, comes with a clause in the contract: if their film goes for a direct-to-OTT release, they will get Rs. 1.5 crores extra.”

Massey’s co-star in his upcoming film, Forensic, Radhika Apte, too, is another example. “The fees she is now asking for is Rs. 2.5 crores, and the same clause (regarding OTT release) has been included in her contract,” our source adds. We are told that actor Kartik Aaryan was also paid an extra amount when Dhamaka’s makers decided to release the film directly on a web platform.

Trade expert Atul Mohan says, “As there is a lot of demand from OTT, actors are and will stay busy for the next couple of years. And when you are in demand, you will ask for more money.”

There is nothing wrong with actors demanding a raised fee, feels producer Anand Pandit, who has bankrolled films such as The Big Bull and Chehre. He opines, “It is about demand and supply. If I am an actor and my producer is giving me Rs. 10 because of whatever equation… suddenly if some OTT platform gives me Rs. 50, my demand goes up. I will ask for more money, as simple as that. I have not come across someone abruptly asking for more money. I don’t see anything wrong in this.”

How well an actor does commercially is what drives their market value, but producer and trade analyst Girish Johar asserts that this also depends from actor to actor: “If there’s viability, the producer will pay. We all know how revenue streams have been impacted, especially the theatrical ones. The critical one is the digital revenue, which has temporarily become the backbone.”