Many novices enter Bollywood each year in the hopes of becoming successful performers. However, only a small number of them can become household names. Khans and Kumars have dominated the Hindi cinema business for several decades. Most of them began acting in the 1990s and put a lot of effort into rising to the top.
Did you know that their earlier films made far less money than the crores they charge today for each film? Let’s look at the rates they charged for their first projects and the amount they currently make a per film.
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan, a megastar, made his Bollywood debut in 1969 with Saat Hindustani. He received Rs 5,000 back then for directing Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. After more than 50 years in Bollywood and many ups and downs, the seasoned actor is still actively acting in films and asking a substantial amount for each production. Next up for the actor is Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmashtra, for which he reportedly demanded between Rs 8 and 10 crores.
Salman Khan
Salman first gained notoriety with Sooraj Barjatya’s 1989 hit Maine Pyar Kiya, but he made his Bollywood debut in 1988 with Biwi Ho To Aisi. He reportedly received a pitiful sum of Rs 11,000 for his supporting part. He dressed for the J.K. Bihari film. After Maine Pyar Kiya’s triumph, he didn’t look back, though; today he is one of Bollywood’s most successful celebrities. Currently, he is one of the highest-paid actors and costs around Rs 100 crore for each film.
Shah Rukh Khan
In 1992, Raj Kanwal’s Deewana marked the big-screen debut of TV star Shah Rukh Khan. Because of his performance, SRK won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. The movie was a box office hit. The newbie received Rs 11,000 as a signing bonus and Rs 1.50 lakh in acting fees before going on to become Bollywood’s “Badshah” in the following years. He had some of the biggest achievements over his three-decade career and is adored by practically everyone. After over four years, SRK will make his eagerly anticipated return with Siddharth Anand’s Pathaan the following year. He has commanded a fee of about Rs 100 crore.
Aamir Khan
Aamir started in a few movies as a kid actor before making his lead acting debut in Mansoor Khan’s 1988 smash hit Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. He reportedly received barely Rs 11,000 for the film, like Salman. But “Mr Perfectionist” from Bollywood has indeed gone a long way and is now one of the most adaptable actors in the Hindi film industry. Next up for him is the official remake of Forrest Gump, Laal Singh Chaddha. He demanded Rs. 50 crore in compensation for the eagerly anticipated project.
Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar received Rs 51,000 for Raj N. Sippy’s Saugandh, his directorial debut (1991). The most recent film in which the superstar appeared was Samrat Prithviraj by Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi. The Khiladi star demanded a staggering Rs 60 crore for the magnum opus, even though it failed to make a splash at the box office.
