Anita Kanwal says '7 vanity vans, 50 people' for stars eat up film budgets: ‘There is nothing left for character actors’

Veteran actor Anita Kanwal discussed the impact of top stars' entourages on character actors' opportunities and payments.

Actor Anita Kanwal has been a part of the entertainment industry for over four decades and has worked in several television shows, such as Son Pari and Chanakya, along with films like Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa and Mujhse Dosti Karoge!, among others. In a recent conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Anita opened up about how the huge entourages of top stars affect the payments and opportunities of character actors in the industry.

Anita Kanwal talks about high entourage cost of stars.

Anita Kanwal slams stars’ huge entourages

Speaking about the current work culture in the industry, Anita said that actors perform best when they work in a calm and peaceful environment. She also criticised the increasing trend of stars travelling with large entourages, claiming that it affects the overall budget of productions and leaves little for supporting actors.

She said, “The more calmly and peacefully you perform a scene, the better it turns out. I am saying this as a character actor. They (top actors) consume so much of the producer’s budget. These seven vanity vans and 50 people around them leave nothing for us. That is the reality. The moment it comes to character actors, even in a film with a budget of ₹250 crore, deductions are made for us.”

Anita further spoke about the harsh working conditions faced by lead actors in television. Criticising the television industry’s fast-paced shooting schedules and dependence on TRPs, she revealed that actors often continue working despite health issues.

“I have seen Pooja (her daughter) sitting on set with a drip while playing the main lead. Why does this happen? It’s because producers do not want to take the risk of shooting episodes in advance. They want to see audience reactions and TRPs for every episode and then completely change the story accordingly. There’s no sense or logic left. You are showing trash,” she added.

In the same interview, Anita also spoke about her own struggles in finding work despite decades of experience in the entertainment industry. She shared that she still gives auditions but often faces rejection and feels forgotten by the industry. The actor recalled how she once used to work on 13 shows simultaneously, but now sometimes feels “useless”.

About Anita Kanwal

Anita is a veteran actor known for her memorable performances in television shows during the 1990s and 2000s. She made her acting debut in 1991 with Chanakya and later became a household name with popular shows such as Banegi Apni Baat and Shanti.

She also appeared in several Bollywood films, including Geetanjali alongside Jeetendra and Rekha, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa alongside Shah Rukh Khan, Laawaris alongside Jackie Shroff and Akshaye Khanna, and Mujhse Dosti Karoge! alongside Hrithik Roshan.

She was last seen in Sasural Genda Phool 2 in 2021, which also starred Ragini Khanna and Jay Soni. The show went off air within four months of its launch.