Govind Namdev recalls how Akshay Kumar scrapped the ‘VIP food menu’ system on Oh My God set : Bollywood News

Veteran actor Govind Namdev has shared candid insights into Bollywood’s long-standing star system, shedding light on the hierarchy that often defines life on a film set. In a recent conversation with The Lallantop, Namdev spoke about the visible and invisible disparities that exist between leading stars and the rest of the cast and crew.

Govind Namdev recalls how Akshay Kumar scrapped the ‘VIP food menu’ system on Oh My God set

Govind Namdev recalls how Akshay Kumar scrapped the ‘VIP food menu’ system on Oh My God setReflecting on his decades-long career, the actor explained how the industry functions on an unspoken structure of “big” and “small” stars. “No, this is not how the industry functions. There is a major system of big and small stars… people function as per their status – in terms of salaries and treatment in the film industry. If someone gets paid more, that person will get a huge vanity van. Difference in food also exists on film sets. The stars have different foods, and others eat different food items.”

According to Namdev, these differences are evident not just in pay scales and vanity vans but even in something as basic as meals served on set. However, he recalled one instance that stood out to him — during the filming of Oh My God!.

The film, which starred Akshay Kumar and was directed by Umesh Shukla, became an example of how a small decision could shift on-set dynamics. Namdev recounted, “There are people who have fresh perspective towards this… Good people like Akshay Kumar, during the shoot of Oh My God, the actor and the film’s director Umesh Shukla decided together that everyone should eat and drink the same thing. If someone doesn’t eat onion or garlic, then that’s a different case but there would be no VIP menu. The environment was something else at that time,” Namdev recalled.

The move, he suggested, reduced the visible divide between the lead actor and the rest of the team — from spot boys to supporting actors. While Bollywood’s hierarchical structure may continue to operate in many productions, Namdev’s recollection highlights how individual choices by leading stars can influence the culture on set.

For the veteran actor, that experience remains a notable exception in an industry where status often dictates everything from compensation to catering.

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