Short, sweet, often pricey
They are fleeting roles, but the guest appearance is much-in-demand in Bollywood right now. They're not in the main cast, making a quick, but talked-about appearance. Like Dharmendra in Metro, Kajol in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Aishwarya Rai in Bunty Aur Babli, Yana Gupta in Anniyan, Jimmy Shergil in Munnabhai, Nayantara in Sivakasi and Amitabh Bachchan in Amrutha Dhaare. The guest appearance, which has been a part of Bollywood films for some time now, is now one pricey affair.
They are fleeting roles, but the guest appearance is much-in-demand in Bollywood right now. They're not in the main cast, making a quick, but talked-about appearance. Like Dharmendra in Metro, Kajol in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Aishwarya Rai in Bunty Aur Babli, Yana Gupta in Anniyan, Jimmy Shergil in Munnabhai, Nayantara in Sivakasi and Amitabh Bachchan in Amrutha Dhaare. The guest appearance, which has been a part of Bollywood films for some time now, is now one pricey affair.
Mallika Sherawat has reportedly been paid Rs 10 lakh for a guest appearance in Himesh Reshammiya's movie. Actor Jimmy Shergil, who made appearances in the Munnabhai series, says, "It depends on the demands of the script. I made a guest appearance in Hum Tum as well. Somehow I feel guest appearances work better for me than full roles. Actors usually take up such roles because they share a good rapport with the director." Director Anurag Basu says it's the biggest stars who are in demand for guest appearances. "Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Salman Khan are always going to be in demand when it comes to guest appearances. And most stars would do it if it's a significant role.
Although I had good actors in my recent movie, Metro, I think having Dharmendra has added even more weight." Actress Shreya Reddy says, "Many directors do it for star value. Top actors do it only because they want to work with a big director like Mani Ratnam." She believes that cameos work for well-established actors. "It would be a bad idea for a newcomer to make a guest appearance," says Shreya. Can guest appearances affect your image as a major actor? "Not at all," says Jimmy. "It depends on how secure or insecure you are." Agrees Anusha Dandekar who made a brief appearance with a item number in the movie Mumbai Matinee, "I think I was recognised as a good dancer and an actor after the item number. I got many film offers after that." And while Mallika Sherawat has earned a packet for her latest guest appearance, it's usually for free. KJo apparently gifted a pair of earrings to Kajol when she made a guest appearance in one of his movies. "The whole idea of making a guest appearance is to do it without expecting money. It's just a gesture you make for a friend," says Jimmy.
