'Farhan Akhtar Got Rs 45 Lakh, I Earned Rs 45,000': Why Varun Grover Quit Writing For Stars

News18

10-06-2025

Varun Grover recalls writing for Farhan Akhtar's show, revealing a shocking pay gap and why he stopped creating stand-up content for TV and movie stars.
Varun Grover may now be recognised for his acclaimed work as a filmmaker and writer, but his journey began much earlier in India's television and comedy circuit. Before gaining praise for films like Masaan, Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, and his directorial debut All India Rank, Grover worked behind the scenes as a comedy writer on several TV shows.
Among his early gigs was writing for popular shows like The Great Indian Comedy Show and Ranvir Vinay Aur Kaun. But one particular experience made him rethink writing for television altogether — his time on Oye! It's Friday!, a celebrity talk show hosted by Farhan Akhtar.
'After Ranvir Vinay Aur Kaun, I joined Farhan saab's Oye! It's Friday! It was during my time there that I realised that there was not much value addition happening from the side of the performer to the material I was writing for them," Grover shared in an interview with The Lallantop.
He recalled the moment he learned just how wide the earnings gap was between performers and writers. 'That was also the first time I got to know how much actors make doing such shows. Even though I had an idea prior to that as well, I did not assume the gap to be so big. But once I learnt about it – maybe it's false information and somebody told me this only to provoke me; I can't say for sure – I realised the gap was huge. He was being paid Rs 45 lakh for each episode, while I was earning just Rs 45,000."
Grover said the contrast between effort and reward felt unfair, especially when the material was entirely his. 'It was my material, and he was just delivering the lines. (Although he's getting paid 100 times more) There wasn't 100 times the value added."
He also spoke about the scale of production, revealing how lavish the set was. 'The show was shot in Yash Raj Studio. It was a really good, expensive set. Had I stolen one of those twinkling balls hanging there each day, my daily Rs 45,000 would've been sorted. That was the first time I saw such a dazzling set."
Eventually, the glam, the imbalance, and growing restrictions pushed him away from the format. 'By then, I had also lost interest in writing stand-up for television, particularly since censorship had also started."
Grover's reflection offers a candid look into the often-unspoken struggles of writers in entertainment — underpaid, undervalued, and frequently overshadowed by star power.
First Published:
June 10, 2025, 14:06 IST