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Daily Inspiration Quote by Ajay Devgan

"Earlier, I used to charge territories instead of my fees as an actor, but I realised it was better to keep the two apart. Now, I take my fees in cash, for acting, and keep the distribution thing separate"

About this Quote

Devgn is talking like a movie star who’s learned the hard way that fame doesn’t protect you from messy math. In one clean pivot-from “Earlier” to “Now” he sketches a whole era of Bollywood deal-making: the old model where an actor’s compensation could come as “territories” (distribution rights in certain regions) rather than straightforward cash. That arrangement flatters the star’s power - you’re not just talent, you’re a mini-studio - but it also quietly turns your paycheck into a volatile asset tied to box office swings, accounting opacity, and the slow grind of collections.

The intent is practical, almost managerial: separate the job from the gamble. “Charge territories instead of my fees” suggests leverage and confidence, even a kind of swagger, but the admission “I realised it was better” reads as a veteran’s correction, not a moral awakening. The subtext is risk management in an industry where trust can be expensive. Distribution is where numbers get negotiated, delayed, disputed, and sometimes “adjusted.” By insisting on cash “for acting,” he’s drawing a boundary around what is owed, when, and for what.

There’s also a branding move here. Devgn positions himself as a professional who understands the business architecture, not a star intoxicated by it. Keeping “the distribution thing separate” doesn’t reject ambition; it upgrades it. Acting becomes the fixed income, distribution the optional portfolio - a shift from personality-driven bartering to corporate clarity, reflecting Bollywood’s gradual push toward more formal, finance-friendly structures.

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TopicBusiness
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APA Style (7th ed.)
Devgan, Ajay. (2026, January 17). Earlier, I used to charge territories instead of my fees as an actor, but I realised it was better to keep the two apart. Now, I take my fees in cash, for acting, and keep the distribution thing separate. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/earlier-i-used-to-charge-territories-instead-of-37752/

Chicago Style
Devgan, Ajay. "Earlier, I used to charge territories instead of my fees as an actor, but I realised it was better to keep the two apart. Now, I take my fees in cash, for acting, and keep the distribution thing separate." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/earlier-i-used-to-charge-territories-instead-of-37752/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Earlier, I used to charge territories instead of my fees as an actor, but I realised it was better to keep the two apart. Now, I take my fees in cash, for acting, and keep the distribution thing separate." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/earlier-i-used-to-charge-territories-instead-of-37752/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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Ajay Devgan on separating acting fees and distribution risk
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Ajay Devgan (born April 2, 1967) is a Actor from India.

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