‘I’m paid well’: Adil Hussain says OTT gives him freedom to reject films like Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Animal’

Adil Hussain went on to express his regret for being a part of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s 2019 blockbuster romantic drama “Kabir Singh”, in which he played a college dean opposite Shahid Kapoor and

Kiara Advani

. He also claimed that even an offer of Rs 200 crore would not be enough to convince him to sign a film like Vanga’s 2023 blockbuster family crime drama ‘Animal’, in which she played the lead role.

Ranbir Kapoor

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Adil Hussain says OTT shows provide him financial freedom

In a conversation with SCREEN, Adil admits that he considers himself very lucky to have never faced a dry spell in his career. Furthermore, the constant stream of acting offers across languages, countries and platforms has given him the financial security to turn down mainstream projects that pay well but go against his moral compass, with films like ‘Animal’ being an example of this. “I am one of the luckiest actors who has been offered roles from different parts of the country and the world, and from the mainstream genre as well,” says Adil.

“I am part of Operation Safed Sagar, which is the most expensive Netflix series in India. So, they paid me really good money. There is another show, which will also be released on July 24, which is Musafir Cafe. They paid me very good money as well,” he adds.The actor, who also appeared in Mitul Patel’s Mercy earlier this year, will next appear in another English independent film, Ali Elaraby’s upcoming sports drama 52 Blue. When I say “I pay very well,” I’m probably getting paid very little compared to other people.

But maybe I created my life in a way that I could continue. “I’m very happy about it,” Adel says.

Adil Hussain had described “Kabir Singh” as a misogynist

Two years ago, on the AP Podcast, Adil admitted that Kabir Singh was the only film he had signed without reading the script beforehand. He described the film as “misogynistic” and accused it of romanticizing violence, adding that he left the screening after only 20 minutes and would feel embarrassed if his wife watched it.

He also claimed that he would “never” sign a project like Vanga’s Animal, even for “Rs 100 crore to Rs 200 crore”.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s sharp response to Adil Hussain

The next day, Vanga responded to X, accusing Adil of having “greed… greater than his passion” and threatening to replace his face with artificial intelligence. He also said that he regretted knowing Adil, claiming that Kabir Singh had given the actor’s career more than the “30 independent films” Adil had worked on throughout his career.

Adil Hussein responds, citing Mira Nair and Ang Lee

However, Adel did not let Vanga’s statements go unanswered. In a conversation with India Today, he wondered if popular international filmmakers like Mira Nair, with whom he collaborated on the 2012 political thriller The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and Oscar-winner Ang Lee, who directed him in the 2016 adventure film Life of Pi, are somehow less famous than the “Animal” director.