Chennai, Apr 16 (IANS): Pointing out that the golden era of Tamil cinema was not now but when people like director Bharathirajaa were making films, well-known producer and actor Arun Pandian has come down hard on Tamil film heroes taking exorbitant sums as salaries.

Participating in the audio launch event of the film 'Aadhaar', Arun Pandian said, "While delivering his speech here, director Saravanan wrongly referred to the present time as the golden period of Tamil cinema. The golden era was when people like director Bharathirajaa were making films. When we were acting in films. It is not like that now. I can say that with confidence.

"Today, the position of Tamil cinema is so bad that all other language films are doing exceptionally well in Tamil Nadu. I am also referring to the recently released films. Be it Vijay's film or Ajith's film, they do not spend on the films but on themselves.

"If they (heroes) take 90 per cent (of the production costs) as their salaries, how can one make films? One cannot make films. I strongly condemn this practice.

"When we made films, only 10 per cent (of the production costs) went towards salaries. Ninety per cent would go towards making the film. Only when that is followed can we compete with other language films.

"We were winning with our stories and our making then. We are now lagging behind in all areas. I heard that the hero of this film Karunaas has not taken a pie as his salary. Hats off to him," the actor and producer said, even as he disclosed that he had reduced his remuneration for the film by half.