Harshvardhan Rane recently pledged to cover the expenses of his entourage himself, a move he says comes from his personal philosophy of not burdening film producers. His decision follows Aamir Khan’s recent viral statement about stars charging production houses for their staff, though Harshvardhan insists the thought has been with him for a while.

“My purpose and dream was always to be the actor who can get the maximum returns to a producer,” Harshvardhan tells us, adding: “This is another step towards my goal of becoming a profitable actor.” He further explains that the inspiration to take this call came from more than one place.

“It’s not just Aamir sir but also (director) Rajiv Rai’s interview and a few legends from the South film industry who inspired me to be fair to producers,” he shares.

For the 41-year-old, the choice is less about setting out to change the industry and more about doing what feels right to him. “Change begins at home and yes, I am just doing my bit. I don’t know if I ever wished to change the system or impact a larger change in the working culture or the industry’s mindset,” he reflects. He adds: “I just wanted to be that actor who pays his entourage from his own pocket.”

He signs that his intentions have always been simple and personal. “I didn’t come here to make a difference to the industry. I always just wanted to do my duties towards my career as my heart wanted to,” says Harshvardhan.