Salman Khan charged ₹5 crore more than Govinda in Partner? Writer Alok Upadhyay reveals it all
Bollywood actors Salman Khan and Govinda's on-screen bromance in the romantic comedy film Partner impressed audiences. The film became one of the most-loved comedies in Bollywood. Now, in an interview with YouTube channel Lightscameramasti, writer Alok Upadhyay has recalled a behind-the-scenes moment from the shooting of the iconic song Soni De Nakhre, revealing that the actors took a combined fee of ₹15 crore for the film. (Also Read: Salman Khan helped me when I was in a lot of debt: Govinda
Writer Alok Upadhyay recalled the shoot for the song Soni De Nakhre in Partner and said, 'During the song Soni De Nakhre, the choreographer had put some long shots. David Dhawan, who was sitting with me, said, 'Ek actor ₹10 crore le raha hai aur ek ₹5 crore le raha hai. 15 crore ke actor ki taange dikhaai ja rahi hain, koi matlab to hai nahi (One actor has charged ₹10 crore, the other ₹5 crore, and we're just showing their legs? What's the point?).''
Alok recalled David Dhawan getting annoyed with the choreographer and telling him, 'Yeh jo tu ₹50 ka gamla, ₹300 ki jhaadu, flower aur decoration dikha raha hai, usse picture nahi chalegi. Yeh jo ₹15 crore ke 2 khade hain, unpe close maar (This ₹50 flowerpot, ₹300 broom, flowers and decorations you're showing — that's not going to make the film work. Those two standing there, who cost ₹15 crore, get a close-up of them).'
Helmed by David Dhawan and produced by Sohail Khan and Parag Sanghvi, the story of the film was inspired by the 2005 American film Hitch. The film featured Govinda, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Lara Dutta in lead roles. The romantic comedy revolves around a love guru, Prem (Salman), who gives wooing advice to his client, Bhaskar (Govinda), for the latter's ladylove Priya. Along the way, he falls in love with a widowed mother, Naina.
The film received a positive response from both audiences and critics, with particular praise for its comic scenes and Govinda's performance. It emerged as a super hit, collecting ₹99.66 crore worldwide at the box office.
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Or Siddhesh Lokare (@sidiously), who ties up with brands to help those on the fringes and spotlight stories of everyday heroes. In the case of Revant Himatsingka (@FoodPharmer), revenue comes less from brands and more from speaking engagements for corporates and colleges. More than the views, it's the impact his videos have that matter more to Revant, his most recent success being the CBSE mandating a 'sugar board' in all its schools—highlighting the sugar content in soft drinks—in response to his #SugarBoardMovement. The move even merited a mention in an episode of PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat programme. THE MORE THE MERRIERIt's a myth that India's creator economy is primarily a Gen Z phenomenon or that it has a predominantly metro presence. It's an industry that welcomes everyone. Have a shooting device, an internet connection and a modicum of talent, good or bad, and you're on. 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You give me a timeline, I will make it happen with no compromise on quality.'The democratic nature of the platforms has given wings to not just Gen Z-ers like Chandni but even Gen Alpha. Aaditya Shukla was 10 when he began making videos on Insta because he had 'nothing to do other than studies' during the lockdown. His first earning was Rs 2,000, when his follower count was 10,000. Five years later, he has balanced studies and reel-making to have brands like Domino's wooing him to reach his teenage Insta audience of 1.6 million. Having lost his father in 2018, Shukla is happy to join his two elder siblings in helping his homemaker mother. 'I have already built something, I won't have to suffer much later,' says it's not just shorts that sell, long format, too, has an audience of its own, emboldening creators like Raj Shamani to go from 45-minute interviews to 2-3 hour-long ones on his YouTube podcast show, Figuring Out. 'I don't believe attention spans are getting shorter. I think the ability to judge content is getting faster,' he says. The go-to podcaster currently has 50 people working for him in several capacities, allowing him to put out three episodes a week and 25 shorts a day across seven channels and several yet, most agree it's just the start for a young economy (just about 15 years old) that's hard to ignore. 'In India, we don't have enough creators with critical mass yet. We are in the stage of building it,' says Vinay Pillai, chief business officer at Pocket Aces, which runs Clout, a talent management wing that currently boasts 225 influencers. 'Once it manifests itself, where we get creators like Kylie Jenner or Mr Beast, you will see the next step for the creator economy. Monetising the distribution they have built into commerce will radicalise the industry.' Pillai believes the next set of creators will be different and interesting, for their inspiration will not be film stars but their own kind. 'The best creators even today and 10-15 years from now will be those who take their authentic selves and turn the volume up, not those following trends,' he Intelligence will change the game even further, aiding the quick delivery of content. Tamil YouTuber Madan Gowri relies on tools like ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and DeepSeek for everything from research and scripting to editing and culling data on the issues that would drive audience engagement. 'It has helped me increase viewership,' he says. 'All we have to do is find the right prompt and curate our content accordingly.'THE ROAD AHEADA growing economy likely calls for greater supervision. Given the influence creators now wield on consumer spend, there's talk of the harm they can wreak on vulnerable audiences, especially children and young adults. 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'Just try building distribution through short-form content for six months. I'll change my name if you don't feel disappointed at some point because you are not getting enough likes or views or don't have scripts to go along. It is a competitive space, because everyone with a phone is a possible creator.' Even someone as popular as RJ Karishma, who has a community of millions on both YouTube and Insta, admits feeling the pressure of uncertainty. One month, it's brand deals a dozen, the next not so much. 'When I started, there weren't that many creators and I had the power to say this is the amount I charge, I cannot go below this,' she says. 'Now, we are also compromising. There are more creators, so if not you, they will find somebody else.'Ultimately, it's the community they have built that fuels the creativity and keeps them going. Karishma cannot thank them enough. 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That formula—a short, funny rhyme (chhora) at the outset, related to the recipe of the day, cooked in a rustic oven—struck a first viral hit came with a demo for simuyier payesh (vermicelli pudding). One day, Suprabha asked her to taste the food on camera and react. 'Daarun!' (wonderful), she smiled—a word that is their signature now. The dream now? To open a caf—perhaps in Kolkata, but more likely in Digha, Usha's windy hometown by the sea.—Arkamoy Datta MajumdarFood Pharmer | Food Inspector General (Photo: Debajyoti Chakraborty) Revant Himantsingka is an anomaly among creators. Best known as the nutrition influencer who pulled up Bournvita for its high sugar content in his very first video, prompting a legal notice; compelled Lay's to switch from palm to sunflower oil in India; and started the campaign 'Label Padhega India', Revant is better known as a 'de-influencer'— someone who criticises brands for falling short on delivering the healthy food they ardently promise. 'The first year, I didn't make any money,' says Revant, who put in his savings from a job in the US into his creative foray. 'I have one policy—don't do any food brand deals. I have been offered insane amounts....' These days, financial services firm Zerodha is sponsoring the production cost of his latest podcast, The Simple Health Series. Happily, a plywood brand has also approached him because he stands for 'trust and credibility'.—Suhani SinghAadi | The romance of youth (Photo: Mandar Deodhar; Location courtesy: Contrast Studios Mumbai) Amazingly, Aadi tya Shukla doesn't have a But naturally, the teen who has over a million people hooked to his reels knows how to make optimum use of those belonging to h is mother and e lder brother Akash. Aadi, as he is known in creatorsphere, has used the device to document his life—preparing for the CBSE boards, hanging out with his friends—that offers a peek into the minds of Generation Alpha. No concerns about his screen time have been raised, for he ain't a bad student. He recently scored 88 per cent in Class 10.'If I had been doing badly in academics, teachers would have objected,' says Aadi. 'I'm proof that even while creating content you can study and do other activities.' It helps that his content is squeaky clean and his demeanour one of disarming teenage amiability. Shukla's creativity on Instagram has resulted in him scoring collab deals (SaReGa-Ma and Domino's, to name just two) and a DM (direct message) from casting director Shanoo Sharma's office, which resulted in a part in the Netflix series The Railway Men. 'I had no idea one can make money from it,' says Shukla, whose first sponsor deal earned him Rs 2,000. That's when he had 10,000 followers. Simple school math suggests a far, far meatier pie now.—Suhani SinghKL Bro Bijurithvik | Working-class hero (Photo: Badusha P.T.) Biju has seen life from the hard angles—as a labourer at a quarry, as a helper in a lorry and, later, as a mini truck and jeep driver. Rendered jobless during the pandemic and stranded at home, he decided, on a whim, to shoot videos on a Samsung phone bought with money a friend gave first YouTube video, uploaded in 2021, was about a young man's hunt for a bride in neighbouring state Karnataka. That video became a viral hit. He has not looked back since. His videos, in which only Malayalam is spoken, are centred around simple, workaday domestic acti vities or, say, a short trip, that features his family—wife Kavitha (28), mother Working-Class Hero Karthyayani (68), children Rithvik (8) and Rishvik (3 months), and his niece Anu Lakshmi (14). For Biju, an idle pursuit has led to fame and a livelihood; indeed, his days now revolve around chronicling his family does not reveal numbers, but says he earns 'enough' to support his family as a content creator. Says Biju, 'I do not know who invented YouTube and other platforms, but they are a blessing for people like me.'—M.G. ArunMG Squad | As he likes it Madan Gowri's success proves that far beyond the crowded fields, there are millions of takers for content ranging from physics to politics. And that most prefer it in the vernacular. What started out as an English YouTube channel in 2017 has morphed into a wildly popular Tamil one. Well-researched and pared down without sacrificing complexity, Gowri's entries both slake and spur the thirst for knowledge. However, 'you can't just talk about random things,' he says. 'I focus on what people want to know, like issues in mainstream media.''Earlier, when you said you are a YouTuber, people thought it was a serious profession,' he says. 'But are like 'even my kid is a YouTuber'. The competition is way higher.' Proudly prolific, he has put up one video a day for the past 6-7 years. Courtesy his revenues from YouTube, Gowri has 40-50 people on his payroll and runs a digital marketing veteran creator Bhuvan Bam aka BB Ki Vines, Gowri is foraying into films, but says he will never forsake the badge of a content creator. 'I'm getting this opportunity as I am who I am in content. The day I stop doing this, I won't have value.'Subscribe to India Today MagazineMust Watch
