What’s with Saif Ali Khan and Minnishha Lamba?

Posted by Simranjeet @ 8:18 pm March 31, 2008
Filed Under Actors, Actresses, News

Tadka spice - Money hai to honey nahi hai… Move over star fees! Bollywood actors are refusing plum offers. What’s the catch?

Close on the heels of Saif Ali Khan refusing a whopping Rs. 30 crore (300 million Indian rupees) offer from a production house, comes the news of Minnishha Lamba refusing Rs. 50 lacs (5 million Indian rupees) for just an item song in a movie. This comes at a time when Hrithik Roshan had signed a Rs 36 crore contract with Adlabs last year, for a three movie pact and numero uno actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan being paid Rs. 4 crore for Shankar’s Robot, in which she stars with south superstar Rajnikanth.

So what’s the reason behind these refusals? In both the cases, it’s mind over moolah for these actors. While Saif Ali Khan, who has been on a roll ever since his newborn stardom a few years back, has refused it because he wants to do quality films, the ones in which he will get a well crafted role, Minnishha Lamba has refused the item song because she feels that such songs do not portray women in a good light. And to think of it, she has already caused a stir, as she is barely 10 films old in the industry.

But are we going to see more of all this? Emraan Hashmi starrer Murder’s success had started a sleaze fest in Bollywood, with B-grade sex flicks trying to cash in on the Indian charged hormones. It died a slow death. And now, stars are refusing to accept anything which might go against their creative freedom or beliefs, as is the case with Saif Ali Khan and Minnishha Lamba respectively. So in all probability, those who want to associate themselves with good work only will choose the untrodden path.

There are, though, countless newbies who will cash in on these situations, but the very act of these stars refusing to fall in the money trap will not just give them the right publicity, but also move them up a lot, as far as respect ladder is concerned. And if the ‘money?… not my honey’ flu catches up with a few more stars, you might soon hear your kid saying that so and so star inspires her/him, coz they do what they like and don’t forget everything for money. When was the last time you heard the line?