Eshwar Harris, known in the South Indian film industry for his long-standing association with Jr NTR as a body double, has declined an offer to reprise that role in the upcoming Bollywood action film War 2. Harris, who has previously worked on major projects like RRR, revealed that his decision stemmed from a serious issue with the remuneration being offered. According to him, the amount proposed by the War 2 team was so minimal, it wouldn’t even cover his travel expenses.
In an interview, Harris expressed disappointment with the treatment he received from the makers of the film, especially considering its scale and budget. “Recently, I was asked if I would like to work in ‘War 2’. I did not do it because of the remuneration. They asked me to come to Mumbai on the next flight I could get. But the remuneration was so low, they probably wouldn’t even cover my flight charges,” he explained, highlighting the disconnect between the film’s grand scale and the compensation offered to supporting talent.
He went on to compare the situation with his experiences in Tollywood, where he says he receives fairer pay. “Bollywood is worse than us, I’m getting paid better than that here (in Hyderabad and Tollywood). You have such high budgets; you should be paying better. I was asked to work for three days, but I turned it down because it’s barely enough to cover my travel,” Harris said, clearly frustrated by the undervaluation of his work.
To back his claims, Harris also shared screenshots from various news portals reporting on his rejection of the film, reaffirming his stance publicly. His comments have sparked conversation around how the industry values behind-the-scenes contributors, especially stunt performers and body doubles, who play a vital role in bringing large-scale action sequences to life.
As War 2 continues production with much buzz, Harris’s remarks serve as a stark reminder that even in the glitz of high-budget cinema, fair compensation remains an unresolved issue for many in the industry.
