It should come as no surprise to learn that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan rakes in quite a bit of cash through her film and advertising contracts, but where does she stand in comparison to Bollywood's top female stars?
A new list of the industry's highest paid actresses is out and Aishwarya ranks quite favorably on it (especially considering she hasn't put out a film in quite some time). The Hindi film industry's highest paid actress is also one of its most prolific--Kareena Kapoor tops the list as Bollywood's richest women. She recently demanded--and was given--Rs. 8 crore (about $1.5 million US) for her role in Madhur Bhandarkar's Heroine. It's the largest sum given to date for an Indian film actress.
Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra take the next two spots, each pulling Rs 4-5 crore per film. Aishwarya follows at 4 crores per film, just above Deepika Padukone who charges 3 crore for her roles. Unsurprisingly, these ladies also pull in quite a bit more with their various advertising contracts. Aishwarya just signed a deal worth Rs. 10 crore with Kalyan Jewellers.
While these are certainly staggering sums compared to what the average working woman in India earns, they still pale in comparison to what the top actors are paid. Stars like Shahrukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan, and even Saif Ali Khan can easily ask for signing fees that are double what Kareena, Katrina, Aishwarya, or Priyanka make per film. It seems unfair, especially considering the changing roles for women in the industry. In films where women are nothing more than pretty objects in the background a smaller fee might seem reasonable, but today's leading ladies are carrying films entirely on their own shoulders and should be compensated accordingly. It hardly seems fair for someone like Aishwarya to be in effect the global face of Indian cinema but still only earn half what her male co-stars do!
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