‘Welcome’ actor claims he was paid less than Akshay Kumar’s staff

Actor Mushtaq Khan, who famously played Ballu in Akshay Kumar’s ‘Welcome,’ has made startling revelations about the amount he received for the film.

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Released in 2007, the film featured a star-studded cast including Bollywood actors Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor and Katrina Kaif among others.

Actor Mushtaq Khan’s character Ballu is among the fan-favourite characters in Bollywood films for his iconic line: “Meri ek taang nakli hai, main hockey ka bohot bada khiladi tha.”

While the actor received widespread acclaim for his role in ‘Welcome,’ he has claimed that he was underpaid by the makers of the Bollywood film.

In a recent interview with an Indian media outlet, Mushtaq Khan claimed that he was paid less than Akshay Kumar’s staff for the film

“Agreement jab humara hota hai toh bola jaata hai ki 20 din ka shoot hai ya 25 din ka shoot hai. Uss hisaab se hum aap na 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. (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 wasn’t increased),” he said.

Read more: Welcome actor recalls improvising the famous climax scene

The ‘Welcome’ actor added, “I’ll tell you the reason. For us, it was fixed that we would do the film for Rs 1 lakh, whether it took 20 days or 25 days. But their staff worked on a per-day basis. Just imagine how much money we would have made if we were also paid per day.”

On the work front, the Bollywood actor last featured in the blockbuster ‘Stree 2.’