#AllAboutFees: Akshay's journey from Rs. 5K to Rs. 135cr remuneration
What's the story
The year 2022 could have been better for Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar (till now) as he has seen a series of flops this year. But he still has some hopeful movies awaiting release. And, in his successful career spanning over three decades, he has got his bank balance swelling as well. Let's dig into his remuneration over the years.
Inception
His first salary was Rs. 5,000
The story of Kumar's entry into films is quite interesting. After he felt "extremely low" for missing a flight to reach Bengaluru for his modeling gig, he visited Nataraj Studio. That's when late filmmaker Pramod Chakravorty spotted him and offered him roles in three films. About his first salary, Kumar once said, "He (Chakravorty) gave a check of Rs. 5,000 for the first film."
Hits
The golden era for Kumar was 2006-2007
Between 2006 and 2007, Kumar delivered back-to-back hits. His career graph saw a rise and so did his remunerations. He started charging Rs. 20-45cr during that time. Later, his career saw a downfall with box office duds like Welcome and Singh Is Bling. But his remuneration saw a gradual increase and touched Rs. 99cr around 2019-20 (toward the beginning of the COVID-19-induced lockdown).
Latest
Kumar charged Rs. 117cr during the lockdown period
"Over the last few months in lockdown, Kumar hiked his fees from Rs. 99cr to Rs. 108cr and finally settled in on Rs. 117cr," Bollywood Hungama quoted a source as saying. The report further added the National Film Award-winning actor charged Rs. 135cr for all the 2022 releases. However, he reportedly slashes his remuneration by 20% for films bankrolled by his friend Sajid Nadiadwala.
Net worth
He ranked in Forbes list of highest-paid actors
With about 30 endorsements and three/four films per year, Kumar has been featured on Forbes's list of highest-paid actors several times. His net worth was Rs. 2,250cr in 2022! This included his luxury house in Mumbai's Juhu, real estate properties, luxury cars, production companies Hari Om Entertainment Co. and Grazing Goat Pictures, and Kabaddi team in the World Kabaddi League, to name a few.