'The Family Man 2': How much did the actors receive?
The Family Man 2 got released almost a week ago, but the buzz around it refuses to die. The show created by Raj and DK impressed both fans and critics with its gripping storyline and stellar acting performances. Recently, a report claimed that the cast members were also paid graciously by the production team, with lead actor Manoj Bajpayee getting a whopping Rs. 10cr!
Bajpayee, who has led both the seasons as spy Srikant Tiwari is naturally leading the salary race, but season two antagonist, Samantha Akkineni is not far behind. She reportedly pocketed at least Rs. 3-4 crore for playing Raji. Priyamani, who plays Bajpayee's wife Suchi, took home a handsome pay of Rs. 80 lakh. Meanwhile, Sharib Hashmi or JK Talpade reportedly got Rs. 65 lakh.
The report further suggested that the supporting cast was also compensated well. Darshan Kumar, who played the role of Major Sameer, got Rs. 1 crore, while Sharad Kelkar, who portrayed Suchi's friend Arvind, received Rs. 1.6 crore. Teenager Aslesha Thakur, who plays Bajpayee's daughter Dhriti, pocketed about Rs. 50 lakh. Sunny Hinduja, reprising the role of Milind, got Rs. 60 lakh, as per sources.
The show, which was delayed due to the lawsuits Amazon's other shows Mirzapur and Tandav faced, has courted controversy ever since its teaser released. Many factions from Tamil Nadu claimed it showed people from their region in poor light and demanded a ban. Recently, many people accused Raj and DK of racism for giving Akkineni the infamous brown face, which they have defended.
"This whole thing comes in the context of beauty when you're trying to say dark skin isn't beautiful and fair skin is...This is not that context, number one. We are all shades of brown...so it's not about getting a different race to play this (character)."
Those who have watched season two are aware that a next edition is in the offing, which was hinted at in the end. It'll be based around the COVID-19 pandemic, and will probably have Tiwari taking on some antagonists from China. But Bajpayee said he has no knowledge about it. "What all season three will have, I don't know. I'm waiting for the script."
