Archive · 9 Oct 2026
Rajkummar Rao Says Actors Should Pay Their Own Coffee
Rajkummar Rao says he keeps his work team small.
For a long time, it had three people, and later he added someone for security.
He thinks actors should not ask film producers to pay for every personal want.
If an actor wants coffee or special food, Rao says they can pay for it themselves.
Some Bollywood stars have much larger teams, and people have criticized the costs.
Rao also spoke about a poster for a film about Sourav Ganguly that people said looked made by AI.
He said the team learned not to rush the work.
He believes AI can help, but should not take the place of people and their feelings.
Rajkummar Rao said his entourage was three people for many years: a hairstylist, makeup artist and personal assistant.
He added a fourth team member for security a few years ago.
Rao said actors should avoid making producers pay for personal extras, such as coffee or special food.
He commented amid criticism of Bollywood actors’ large entourages and the costs they can impose on producers.
Rao said the team behind the Sourav Ganguly biopic’s first-look poster learned not to rush, and described AI as a supporting tool that should not replace human creativity.
- Who
- Actor Rajkummar Rao.
- What
- He discussed entourage costs, producer expenses and the use of AI in filmmaking.
- When
- In a conversation with Mashable India; the article does not give the interview date.
- Where
- The interview was with Mashable India; no interview location is stated.
- Why
- Rao said actors should not burden producers with personal expenses and that AI should be used as a supporting tool rather than a replacement for human creativity.
Use AI and large production resources
Keep costs and AI dependence in check
AI in filmmaking
Use AI and large production resources
AI can be used as a tool in film production.
Keep costs and AI dependence in check
Rao said it should support rather than replace human work and emotion, and noted that livelihoods could be affected by overreliance.
Actors’ personal expenses
Use AI and large production resources
Some actors’ entourages and requests for services can involve producers covering personal needs.
Keep costs and AI dependence in check
Rao argued that actors should pay for extras such as coffee or special food themselves rather than ask producers to pay.
- Rao's longtime entourage
- Three people: one for hair, one for makeup and a personal assistant.
- Added team member
- Rao said he added a fourth person for security a few years ago.
- Rao's view on personal expenses
- Actors can pay for their own coffee or special food instead of asking producers to cover it.
- Poster discussed
- The first-look poster for the Sourav Ganguly biopic Dada drew criticism for appearing AI-generated.
- Rao's view on AI
- He said AI can be a supporting tool, but warned against depending on it entirely or replacing human emotion and work.
- Interview outlet
- Mashable India.