Veteran filmmaker and former CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani has offered a blunt look at how Bollywood’s power dynamics have drastically changed over the years. In a recent interview on the Learn From The Legend podcast, Nihalani reflected on how the control once held by producers and directors in casting decisions has now completely shifted to actors. Drawing from his own experience, he recalled that the first time he ever encountered an actor insisting on a particular co-star was during the making of Talaash in the early 2000s, when Akshay Kumar demanded Kareena Kapoor be cast as the lead actress.According to Nihalani, the 2003 action thriller was one of the most expensive films of its time, with a lavish budget of ₹22 crore. It featured extravagant sets, including 22 built from scratch, scenes shot in South Africa, and even a moving train sequence. The producer recalled that Akshay was ready to start the shoot very next day as the script was ready, but he demanded that the heroine has to be Kareena Kapoor. He speculated that Akshay had already worked with Karisma Kapoor and wanted to be paired with a younger heroine, possibly to appear younger himself on screen.

What stood out, however, was the shift in decision-making: from directors and producers to actors calling the shots on co-stars to technicians. Nihalani remarked that today’s industry functions like a "racket," where the actor decides everything while the producer is reduced to someone who simply arranges finances and delivers the project.

The producer also weighed in on Akshay Kumar’s recent slump at the box office, with 10–12 films reportedly flopping back-to-back. He noted that while the actor began his career with discipline, punctuality, and sincerity—qualities that ensured continued work despite his early films not performing well—those strengths may no longer align with current audience preferences. Nihalani pointed out that even when Akshay takes up philanthropic efforts now, the timing seems to be working against him.

In a recent podcast, filmmaker Pahlaj Nihalani criticised the growing entitlement of actors, highlighting how stars today demand massive entourages, including multiple vanity vans for workouts, meetings, and meals. He noted that what once required one person now needs ten, including separate staff just to hold mirrors. He also alleged rising costs for makeup and fitness, and even claimed that drug use remains prevalent in the industry, saying it’s sometimes visible in the very eyes of certain actors.