5 Things No Movie Star Wants To Hear

To avoid full-on drama, tactful diplomacy is the only way to conduct tough conversations

- Rajeev Masand

Actors, and especially movie stars, are fragile creatures. They're not used to hearing the word 'no' in response to outrageous demands, and disagreeing with a star on the smallest of matters could very easily get you on their wrong side, or worse still pit you as the enemy.

Yet, someone's got to have the tough conversations. Tact is highly recommended. Blunt rejections and firm put-downs from producers ought to be strictly avoided. Take it from someone who works closely with them here are a few lines no movie star wants to hear...

"We're going with someone younger"

In an industry where youth is currency, there's literally nothing more cruel you can say to an actor. But because Bollywood is both ageist and sexist, this is a prejudice faced almost exclusively by female actors. At 56, Salman Khan can still get Disha Patani and Pooja Hegde to play his love interests. But Sonakshi Sinha (35) is considered "too old" to be cast opposite Varun Dhawan or Sidharth Malhotra (both 35).

"We need to scale up"

This is usually code for "we need a bigger star". While rejecting a good actor who'd be right for the part but doesn't have 'momentum' or 'viability', producers will frequently remind you that "it's called show business for a reason". Big names promise more bums on seats, and, like it or not, that's the only argument that holds any water in this business.