His production company since 2003, Red Chillies Entertainment, has produced a number of box office hits. He also co-owns the Indian Premier League cricket team, Kolkata Knight Riders, with fellow actor Juhi Chawla, and enjoys lucrative brand deals with Hyundai, LG, Dubai Tourism, Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Tata Group’s BigBasket.
Amitabh Bachchan – US$400 million
Apart from films, the 79-year-old actor also has a variety of businesses. In 2013, he bought a 10 per cent stake in Just Dial and has a 3.4 per cent stake in the cloud computing company Stampede Capital.
According to Makaan, he also owns five luxurious bungalows and two flats in the Juhu area in Mumbai, India, along with agricultural land worth US$1.5 million.
Salman Khan – US$260 million
Actor Salman Khan rebranded himself from a romcom actor to an action star with films like Wanted (2009) and Dabangg (2010). According to Celebrity Net Worth, Khan earned an impressive US$40 million between 2017 and 2018. The star also has his own production company called Salman Khan Films with a reported operating income of around US$400 million.
The 55-year-old actor even appeared as a TV host for 10 Ka Dum and Bigg Boss and has served as the brand ambassadors for Pepsi, Suzuki and Emami Healthy.
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Akshay Kumar – US$250 million
With zero box office flops in recent years, Akshay Kumar was the only Indian star on Forbes’ 2020 World’s Highest-Paid Celebrities list. Last year he even made headlines for charging US$15 million for Aanand L. Rai’s upcoming film, cementing him as the highest-paid actor in India at the moment.
However, Forbes detailed that most of his money actually comes from endorsing everything from multivitamins to toilet cleaners. Not too shabby, since Kumar is one of the few Indian actors who owns a private jet.
Aamir Khan – US$205 million
Dubbed “Mr Perfectionist”, Aamir Khan changed the course of Bollywood with his social commentary films. His 2016 film Dangal alone earned US$340 million at the box office worldwide and ranks as the highest-grossing Indian film of all time. This is followed by PK (2014) and Secret Superstar (2017) respectively; both generated another US$300 million in profits combined.
While he is picky about endorsing brands, Khan charges a whopping US$1.5 million per endorsement, reports Republic World. He recently showed up in the CEAT Tyres campaign.
Kamal Haasan – US$100 million
The Tamil superstar has been acting and producing hit films (Biwi No 1, Chachi 420, Hey Ram, Mumbai Xpress and Ramji Londonwaley) for decades now.
In 2017, he was roped in to host Bigg Boss Tamil (currently in its fourth season), where the first season became the most-watched show in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Haasan is reportedly paid US$2 million for the gig.
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Shahid Kapoor – US$70 million
After striking out with his 2019-hit film Kabir Singh, Kapoor reportedly increased his salary to US$4.6 million per film. The 40-year-old actor also owns two luxurious homes in the Andheri and Juhu area, where the latter is worth over US$4 million, according to GQ India.
Boasting over 32 million followers at the time of writing (Shah Rukh Khan has 26 million, in comparison), Kapoor also earns big bucks from social media promotions for brands like Brut, Reebok and Tommy Hilfiger watches. In 2016, he launched his own fashion line called Skult that’s now available in many popular e-commerce stores in India.
Hrithik Roshan – US$43-48 million
One might expect to see Hrithik Roshan higher on the list, but with his selective nature in picking out films (he didn’t sign up for any new films throughout 2018!), he falls a few ranks lower. However, that doesn’t mean he’s lacking in wealth.
From acting roles to endorsement, Roshan also earns big dough from his clothing line called HRX with a value of US$26 million, reports India’s Economic Times. Recently, he was said to be paid a whopping US$10 million for his role as Ram in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming Ramayana opposite Ranbir Kapoor.
Ranbir Kapoor – US$42 million
One of Bollywood’s most-sought after stars, Ranbir Kapoor asks for US$800,000 for a day’s endorsement, Hindustan Times reports. From Asian Paints, Pepsi and Panasonic to Renault and Flipkart, he is said to endorse at least 10 brands at any given time.
While he earns a lot, the 39-year-old also spends a huge chunk on trainers, expensive watches (Tag Heuer Grand Prix) and supercars (Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG). If you’re wondering, Kapoor also earns the same US$10 million figure as Roshan in the upcoming Ramayana where he will play Raavan.
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Saif Ali Khan – US$40 million
He also has a line of Indian occasion wear and a furniture collection in partnership with Myntra called House of Pataudi. While he is not on Instagram, the actor often appears in his wife Kareena Kapoor’s sponsored posts, where the “royal couple” can be seen endorsing products like baby wipes and electronics.
