With a stellar cast which includes Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Rishi Kapoor, it’s no wonder actor-director Nandita Das’ Manto made its way to the 71st Cannes Film Festival.

How much do you think the cast and crew charged for their work in the film though? To many people’s surprise, some of the celebrities working in the film only charged a nominal fee; if anything, reported Times of India.

While Siddiqui asked for merely INR1 for the film, writer Javed Akhtar and singer Gurdas Maan didn’t charge a single penny. The Mom actor plays the lead role of late Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto in the film and Das is more than grateful for his offer to do it for such a small fee. “This is the character that an actor would give an arm and leg for. But to not charge even a nominal fee is very gracious of Nawaz,” stated the director.

She added, “Trust me, there is more to life than money! The compensation comes in the form of experience and the joy of working on interesting projects. I, too, have done many such projects and have never looked for monetary compensation.”