The extravagant lifestyles and backstage routines of prominent cinema personalities have long remained a subject of intense public curiosity. On film sets, the presence of sprawling personal entourages and extraordinary comfort demands frequently grabs headlines. Adding a fresh insider perspective to this ongoing conversation, actor Dayanand Shetty, widely recognised for his portrayal of Daya in the long-running television show CID, shared intriguing details about the luxury culture prevailing across film sets. He disclosed that several actors bring their pet dogs to film shoots along with a dedicated canine nanny to attend to them round the clock.
Luxury Setups for Pets at Shooting Locations
During an in-depth conversation on Siddharth Kannan's YouTube channel, Dayanand Shetty was asked about the massive personal entourages that accompany celebrities and their day-to-day conduct on working sets. In his response, the actor explained that such behaviour often stems from their personal upbringing and a deeply ingrained belief that stardom inherently requires displaying an opulent lifestyle. He recounted how certain artists routinely bring their dogs along to shooting premises. Whenever these actors get a break between takes or feel like unwinding, they call their pets over to their vanity setup to spend a few moments together. While Shetty shared these anecdotes in a lighthearted and conversational manner, the revelations shed light on the peculiar realities underpinning the film world.
Dedicated Dog Nannies, Eyewear, and Grooming Routines
Elaborating on the arrangements, Dayanand Shetty mentioned that an exclusive caretaker is hired solely to handle the daily requirements of the celebrity's pet dog. This nanny is tasked with walking the pet, monitoring its feeding schedule, and looking after its general well-being throughout the shoot. Furthermore, extraordinary care is taken regarding the animal's physical appearance. Shetty highlighted that some dogs are dressed in stylish outfits, fitted with sunglasses, and occasionally even given light grooming and makeup to ensure they look impeccable on set. In essence, the pets receive styling and personal care comparable to that of high-profile stars. When asked about his personal reaction to such setups, Shetty quipped that such a dog is truly fortunate, adding that one could get troubled only if they overanalyse these matters instead of taking them in stride.
Demands for Multiple Vanity Vans and Crew Pushback
The issue of inflating entourages and skyrocketing vanity van demands has previously drawn sharp reactions from multiple veteran filmmakers. Director Sanjay Gupta, known for helming projects such as Kaante, Zinda, and Shootout at Wadala, had earlier disclosed in a discussion that certain performers demand as many as six vanity vans for a single shoot. Gupta also pointed out that one particular actor was even dropped from a prominent South Indian film project purely due to unyielding and excessive luxury demands. His comments had sparked an industry-wide discussion regarding the unsustainable logistics and burgeoning production budgets caused by star amenities.
Two Lakh Rupee Daily Chefs and Rising Discontent
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has similarly voiced his reservations regarding the spiralling luxury expenses insisted upon by leading actors. In an interview, Kashyap recounted how some actors travel with dedicated personal chefs who command daily fees of around 2 lakh rupees. He remarked that these chefs prepare highly specialized health regimes, which to him often looked less like conventional food and more like bird feed. Adding to this critique, filmmaker Karan Johar also expressed bewilderment at the prevailing entourage trends. Johar noted that when actors are already drawing substantial remuneration packages, asking production companies to foot the bills for minor personal luxuries seems unreasonable, questioning why artists need to move around with a contingent of six to eight assistants on every project.
