Vijay Deverakonda says he was getting paid peanuts before Kushi

Vijay Deverakonda is gearing up for the release of his next, Family Star. The actor was present with co-star Mrunal Thakur and producer Dil Raju at a press meet in Hyderabad where he spoke about not getting paid well until the release of Kushi, as per a report by India Today. He also added that the bigger focus for an actor should be on honing one’s craft rather than on the compensation. (Also read: Vijay Deverakonda reveals why he won’t work with a debutant director: ‘I need them to be fully ready to exploit me’)
At the event, Vijay said: “I am a star, but I started to see little money only recently, around Kushi. As an outsider, one shouldn’t think about money at first. One should worry about cementing his style, and performances; my work in the films should speak first. Outside, a lot is said about how much I am earning and all that. I earned peanuts till Kushi. Only after that film, I started taking my market price.”
When Vijay was further asked about his market price, Dil Raju came to his defense and added that both of them have agreed to reach a decision. He also shared that both of them are looking forward to working together in the future. “He discussed with the producer and said whatever will make all of us profitable will be the market price. As he had discussed all this with us, we are collaborating on two more projects,” he added.
Kushi released in theatres last year on September 1 in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. The film is a romantic comedy directed by Shiva Nirvana and has several romantic numbers like Na Rojaa Nuvve, Aradhya, Yedhaki Oka Gaayam, Osi Pellama and the Kushi title song. The film received positive reviews upon release and did decently at the box office.
Vijay will be seen next in Family Star, all set to release in theatres on April 5. It marks his first film opposite Mrunal Thakur as well as his second film with director Parasuram after the highly-successful 2018 film Geetha Govindam.