In the world of Bollywood, where star fees often run into crores, one man quietly helped redefine the financial dynamics between actor and studio — and he isn’t a filmmaker or a producer. Meet Bimal Parekh, the chartered accountant and long-time financial advisor to half of Bollywood, he planted the seed for one of the industry’s most significant deal structures: profit-sharing backend deals.In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Parekh revealed how this shift came about.He shared that he and his firm were the first guys who came with the full backend formula in the case of Aamir Khan. He gave him the idea of charging ‘no upfront free but take a share from profit’. Back then top actors would demand hefty cheques before a film even hit the floors, this was nothing short of revolutionary.The conversation that sparked this idea was a casual one. Aamir, known for his perfectionism and unconventional choices, had once mentioned to Parekh how he consciously charged lower fees to ensure his producers didn’t lose money, especially if a film underperformed. It was a noble thought, but Parekh saw a smarter, mutually beneficial route. He was startled when he heard about his reasoning for charging lesser amount and asked him to change his approach of taking a backend deal so as to not load the film early on. This approach ensured that Aamir’s earnings were directly tied to a film’s success. If it worked, both the studio and the actor would profit. If it didn’t, the financial risk on the producer’s side was minimized. The model proved successful in Dangal (2016), which became one of Indian cinema’s highest-grossing films, especially overseas. Aamir earned handsomely from the profits. Conversely, in Laal Singh Chaddha (2022), where the film underperformed, the studio, Viacom 18, still managed to make money while Aamir’s personal gain was limited — a testament to the fairness of the structure.Aamir is gearing up for his next film Sitaare Zameen Par which is slated to release on 20th June, it also features Genelia D’Souza.
