Vivek Agnihotri Fires Lead Actor Over Manager's Attitude, Says 'These Middlemen Have Destroyed...'

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri criticised Bollywood's increasing reliance on managers and talent agencies, stating it hampers genuine talent and professionalism. His frustration stems from a recent incident where he had to fire a lead actor due to the unprofessional behaviour of the actor's manager.

Hyderabad: Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has raised concerns about the increasing influence of managers and 'middlemen' in Bollywood, claiming that this trend is harming the industry. Agnihotri took to his social media handle to voice his frustration, highlighting how the involvement of these intermediaries is complicating the professional lives of celebrities and creating barriers to genuine talent.

Taking to X on September 27, Agnihotri shared an incident where he had to fire a lead actor due to the unprofessional behaviour of the actor's manager, who worked for a major talent agency. Without naming the actor, Agnihotri wrote, "I had to fire a lead actor last week because his manager was so arrogant and behaved as if he had the prerogative to be like this just because he is an employee of a 'Huge Celeb’s Star Kid Talent Agency'. These middlemen have destroyed more careers than made it. Do a workshop and train these kids."

I had to fire a lead actor last week because his manager was so arrogant and behaved as if he had the prerogative to be like this just because he is an employee of a ‘Huge Celeb’s’ Star Kid Talent Agency’. These middlemen have destroyed more careers than made it. Do a workshop… https://t.co/r3RtDtyBBu

— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) September 27, 2024

His statement came in response to a similar post by casting director Mukesh Chhabra, who criticised the chaotic nature of the industry, noting the excessive involvement of casting directors and managers. "The current state of the film industry: one actor, 200 casting directors, and 15,680 managers," Chhabra wrote, hinting at the inefficiency this trend has brought.

The debate on the role of managers in shaping an actor's career continues to be a topic of discussion, with many feeling that these intermediaries complicate the process rather than simplify it.

Speaking of Vivek Agnihotri's professional endeavour, he is gearing up for his next project Parva - An Epic Tale of Dharma, based on the Mahabharata, while also working on The Delhi Files.

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