Forbes’ annual list of highest-paid actors is always looked at with much anticipation, particularly on this side of the film fraternity (read: Bollywood) to find out if any of our stalwarts have toppled any of theirs.
This time too, the list doesn’t disappoint with bigwigs such as Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar featuring in the top 10 – way ahead of Hollywood stars such as Leonardo Di Caprio and Johnny Depp.
The list of 34 global actors also includes Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor. The list, for the first time, according to an admission in the Forbes report itself, looks for the first time at actors working in international movie industries – independent of Hollywood. This is something Forbes hadn’t done before.
As a result, there are 12 newcomers in the list that has actors from seven different countries.
While Amitabh and Salman tie for seventh place, raking in $33.5 million, Akshay Kumar isn’t far behind at No 9, with $32.5 million.
Shah Rukh is India’s “Leonardo Di Caprio”
Shah Rukh khan, who ranks at 18, with $26 million, also finds glorious mention, with Forbes calling him “India’s Leonardo Di Caprio” – earning from movies like Happy New Year and the upcoming Fan.
Ranbir Kapoor makes it to the list for the first time – ranked 30th – with USD 15 million earnings.
The Forbes list is headed by Iron Man Robert Downey Jr., who has attained this stellar achievement for the third year in a row.
Why are Bolly Stars Making so Much Money?
Forbes also provided a comprehensive reason for Bollywood stars making so much money.
The answer lies in the structure of their compensation. Though Indian movies gross far less than U.S. films at the box office, they recoup costs by selling satellite rights to TV channels. Unlike the U.S., where first dollar gross deals are a thing of the past, Bollywood stars continue to earn a cut of each film’s ticketing revenue.
The Forbes report also claimed that Bollywood stars, like their US counterparts, made a lot of money through product endorsements. And although “these tend to be less lucrative than American stars’ seven figure deal, Bollywood’s best tend to rep over 10 different products, some more glamorous than others”, the report said.
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