Pradeep Ranganathan On His Salary: Time Is Equivalent to Money
The director-turned-actor speaks about how his payment was determined for films such as ‘Dude’ and ‘LIK’
Tamil actor-director Pradeep Ranganathan might only be three films old in the industry, but in a span of six years, the filmmaker has been part of two superhit projects: one as a filmmaker and actor, Love Today (2022), and the other solely as an actor, Dragon (2024). Ranganathan, who is set to feature in his two films as an actor this year, Keerthiswaran’s Dude and Vignesh Shivan’s LIK, gets candid about how he decides his remuneration in the industry. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, Dude is set for an October 17 release.
While payments usually depend on various factors, all three payments he has gotten since Love Today have been based on the 2022 film’s success, he says. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, he says, “Payments are generally decided based on how much the film will be sold digitally, on satellite and theatres. A producer will be getting a minimum amount that is not based on whether the film is a hit or not. In this amount, I’ll look at how much I can ask for. While doing this, we also make sure the producer is not at risk. If they get profit, it is a bonus for them.”
Love Today was a hit, but Dragon, Ashwath Marimuthu’s college comedy, was an even bigger hit. “Dragon happened after [he had signed] LIK. I couldn’t decide on the salary, so I just got a 10-20 per cent hike. Similarly, Dude was going to be my 3rd film. I took another small hike. But Dragon crossed Love Today’s collections. Lucky for Mythri [Movie Makers]. So apparently I got really less money than what I should've gotten,” he adds with a laugh.
It is sometimes good to wait and do one film after another if money is a priority, he adds. “But if you want to save time, it’s another story. Time is also equivalent to money. So I wanted to do Dude at that time itself. That was more important than money for me.”
In the same interview, the filmmaker also clarified that his films Dude and LIK will not be clashing on Deepavali, unlike what was initially expected. The producers behind LIK also put out a statement, clearing the air. Like two trains on the same track, a head-on collision helps no one. With genuine concern for our beloved hero Pradeep Ranganathan and respect for the efforts behind both films, we've thoughtfully decided to reschedule the release of LIK to December 18, 2025. Despite our best efforts to coordinate with Mythri Movies, we couldn't find common ground, and we believe it's wiser to let both films shine without overlap. We extend our heartfelt wishes to Pradeep Ranganathan and the entire team of DUDE for a joyous Diwali and a grand success at the box office!” (SIC)