Mushtaq Khan recalls being paid less than Akshay Kumar's staff in Welcome: ‘Producer fayada uthata hai’

Mushtaq Khan shared frustrations about payment structures in Bollywood, noting that his fixed salary did not change despite extended shooting.

Bollywood actor Mushtaq Khan, known for his roles in films like Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke, Jodi No.1, Welcome, and more, revealed in an interview with Filmymantra Media that he was paid less than Akshay Kumar's staff. When he complained to the producer about his salary, the latter refused to increase his pay. (Also Read: Welcome, Stree 2 actor Mushtaq Khan was kidnapped at Delhi-Meerut Highway, ‘tortured’ for 12 hours)

Mushtaq Khan recalls how producer refused to increase pay during Welcome.

Mushtaq Khan recalls being paid less than Akshay Kumar's staff in Welcome

Mushtaq recalled not being paid fairly for Welcome and said, “Agreement jab humara hota hai toh bola jaata hai ki 20 din ka shoot hai yaa 25 din ka shoot hai. Uss hisaab se hum aapna payment tay karte hain. Par fir 25 din ke shoot ke baad aapse 10 din aur maange jaate hai, fir uske baad 15 din aur, Maine kaha yeh toh galat baat hai yaar. Paise nahi badhaye. Jab aap director ki taraf se jaate hain, toh uska fayada uthata hai producer (When we sign an agreement, we're told it's a 20-day or 25-day shoot. Based on that, we decide our payment. But when, after the 25-day shoot is over, they ask for 10 more days, and then another 15 days after that. I felt this was not right. The payment isn’t increased. When you are approached from the director’s side, the producer takes advantage of it)."

Mushtaq further admitted that Akshay Kumar’s staff was paid more than him and added, “I’ll tell you the reason. For us, it was fixed that we would do the film for ₹1 lakh, whether it took 20 days or 25 days. But the staff works on a per-day basis. Just imagine how much money we would have made if we were also paid per day.”

Mushtaq revealed that when he complained to the producer about his shooting days being extended, the producer responded that he should be happy to be part of such a big film. He further refused to increase the pay. However, Mushtaq also expressed his happiness about the memes made on his character and the immense fame he gained through Welcome.

About Welcome

Directed by Anees Bazmee, Welcome is a comedy-drama starring Feroz Khan, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, and Mallika Sherawat in prominent roles. The film was a huge hit and later turned into a franchise with a sequel titled Welcome Back in 2015. The third instalment, Welcome to the Jungle, is slated for release this year.

Meanwhile, Mushtaq was last seen in Stree 2, which also featured Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee, and Pankaj Tripathi in lead roles. The film turned out to be a blockbuster, earning ₹857.15 crore worldwide at the box office.