Professional lives in Filmistan
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Best actor award eluded these superstars
Superstars who have never won the Filmfare award for best actor
Akshay Kumar- The Khiladi Kumar, who has carved a niche for himself first for his action films and later for his comic timing, is another superstar who has never won a Filmfare award. While we can't say Akshay has never won but the Best Actor award has eluded him for years now. While the actor has won awards as the best actor in a negative role for 'Ajnabee' and one for a comic role in 'Garam Masala', the versatile actor hasn't ever been named the Best Actor of the year. Especially popular with the NRI crowd, Akshay has worked in over 100 films since the time he started in 1990 but is still waiting to get hold of his Best Actor award. Slow and steady wins the race and we hope Akshay manages to win the jury over someday.
Dharmendra- Veteran actor Dharmendra has entertained the masses for a very long time and given us hits with films like 'Sholay', 'Chupke Chupe', 'Seeta Aur Geeta', 'Mere Hamdam Mere Dost' and 'Bandhini' to name a few. Despite ruling the roost at the box office and being nominated several times at the Filmfare awards for his various performances, Dharmendra never bagged a single award. It was only years later that the most handsome star of his time stepped on the stage to finally receive his award for a Lifetime achievement award at the Filmfare awards ceremony in the year 1997. Dharmendra's humble speech at the Filmfare that year still resonates in our ears. After finally holding the black lady Dharmendra said "I've longed for this Filmfare trophy for 37 years... but it always evaded me. Every year, I'd stitch a new suit and buy a matching tie in the hope that I'd be called to receive a trophy... then after a few years I gave up. I decided that I would attend the function wearing a T-shirt and shorts... ya kachcha pahen ke chala jaaonga (or I would just wear underwear)." "By giving me this award, Filmfare has more than made up for all the trophies I missed out on. In this one trophy I can see 15 awards..." (sic)
Govinda- Making his debut in 1986 with the film 'Ilzaam', Govinda has since then made the audiences laugh and cry in over 140 Hindi films. Also known by his nickname Chi Chi, he entered the hearts of his fans but couldn't do the same with the award juries. Known especially for his brilliant comic timing and his energetic and fun dance routine, the 'No. 1' actor has never won a Best Actor award at the Filmfare awards in his career. Out of the 12 Filmfare nominations he received over the years, Govinda has won a special award for 'Saajan Chale Sasural' and a best Comedian award for 'Haseena Maan Jayegi'. Even though he impressed one and all with his performance in films like 'Hatya', the Best Actor trophy has eluded this performer so far.
Katrina Kaif- She is one of the biggest superstars of our times but awards have kept themselves far, far away from Katrina Kaif. The beauty who made her debut with Kaizad Gustad's 'Boom' climbed the success ladder soon after. Also known as India's Barbie doll, though Katrina is one of the top names of the film industry today, her success has got less to do with her performances in films. Kat has learned Hindi and given some chart topping numbers like 'Sheila ki jawaani' and 'Chkini chameli' and even performed at the country's most prestigious award functions, but hasn't received critical acclaim so far. However, Kat got nominated in the Filmfare Best Actress category for her critically acclaimed film 'New York' but did not win the same that year.
Sonam Kapoor- Anil Kapoor's 'jhakas' daughter Sonam Kapoor is the film industry's fashionista. With the success of 'Raanjhanaa' and 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag', the actress has secured a place for herself at the box office as well. While her career is on the upswing at the moment, the beautiful actress hasn't got the award jury's stamp of approval yet. Her debut film 'Saawariya' directed by ace filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali had sky-high hopes but failed to deliver. It was outdone at the box office by Shah Rukh Khan's 'Om Shanti Om' and Sonam's Filmfare debut award slipped into Deepika Padukone's hands. While Deepika continues to win over both critics and audiences alike, Sonam's superstar status has made her a regular at award ceremonies abroad but the actress is yet to grab one for herself yet.
Career mistakes: turning down good roles
Stars who turned down famous roles!
Aishwarya Rai rejected 'Raja Hindustani' Would 'Raja Hindustani' look any different had Aishwarya Rai not rejected the film, and Karisma Kapoor had not stepped in to play the role of Aarti Sehgal? Well, Aishwarya's loss definitely turned out to be a career-changing role for Karisma.
Ajay Devgn/ Salman Khan: Bollywood hunk Salman Khan got Karan Arjun only after Ajay Devgn walked out of the movie following a tiff with filmmaker Rakesh Roshan
Akshay Kumar rejected 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' Farhan Akhtar went on to make a rather inspiring body transformation for his role as Milkha Singh in 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'. However, the biographical sports film was first offered to Akshay Kumar keeping in mind the actor's discipline for fitness. However, after Akshay rejected the role, the makers announced the film with Farhan in the lead.
Amitabh Bachchan: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan was not the original choice of Ramesh Sippy for the role of Jai in Sholay. Apparently, Sippy wanted Shatrughan Sinha but the role went to Amitabh Bachchan only after co-star Dharmendra [Salim Javed, according to Indpaedia] put a word in favour for him.
Amjad Khan: Danny Denzongpa was the first choice to play Gabbar Singh in Sholay. Apparently, Amjad Khan got the once in the lifetime role of Gabbar Singh only after Danny declined the film.
Armaan Kohli / Shah Rukh Khan : Bollywood badshah Shah Rukh Khan delivered his first superhit only after Armaan Kohli walked out of Raj Kanwar’s Deewana!
Dilip Kumar: Tragedy king Dilip Kumar got Naya Daur only after Ashok Kumar rejected the movie.
Hrithik Roshan rejected 'Dil Chahta Hai' This one is surely a miss for Hrithik Roshan! Owing to Farhan Akhtar's friendship with the actor, Farhan first offered the role of Akash Malhotra to Hrithik. However, post Hrithik rejected the film, Farhan got Aamir Khan on board, who totally slayed the character.
Juhi Chawla: Juhi Chawla was the only actress who accepted a cameo role in Chandni after A-listers turned down the role and refused to play second fiddle to Sridevi.
Kajol rejected 'Veer-Zaara' While Shah Rukh and Kajol with their pair can create magic on screen, it was Shah Rukh and Preity Zinta starrer 'Veer-Zaara' that became the most talked about romantic film in 2004 and is still an iconic film owing to its storyline. However, it was after Kajol rejected the role that Preity stepped in to play the role of Zaara Hayat Khan in 'Veer-Zaara'.
Kajol: Bollywood diva Kajol rejected the role of Pia in Rajkumar Hirani’s 3 Idiots, which finally went to Kareena and gave her a much needed hit.
Kangana Ranaut rejected 'The Dirty Picture' Vidya Balan bagged all the Best Actress Awards for her portrayal of Reshma/Silk in 2011 hit film 'The Dirty Picture'. However, the role was first not offered to Vidya Balan, but to Kangana Ranaut. We wonder how different would have the film turned out!
Kareena Kapoor rejected 'Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela' How different would have the chemistry been had Kareena Kapoor Khan been cast opposite Ranveer Singh in 'Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela'? Well, the thought itself makes us cringe, right? Deepika Padukone and Ranveer's sizzling chemistry only made the watching experience better!
Kareena Kapoor rejected 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' While Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan's romance in 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' went on to win the hearts of many, Sanjay Leela Bhansali was not too keen on casting Aishwarya for the role and instead approached Kareena Kapoor to play the role of Nandini Durbar. After Kareena rejected the role is when Salman asked the filmmaker to rope in Aishwarya for the part.
Katrina Kaif rejected 'Barfi!' Katrina Kaif was the first actress to be approached for the role of Shruti Ghosh Sengupta alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in Anurag Basu's 'Barfi!'. However, it was after Katrina rejected the film that Ileana D'cruz stepped in to play the character.
Katrina Kaif rejected 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' Before Deepika Padukone went on to play the role of Naina Talwar and make it appear like every girl-next-door's dream come true, the role opposite Ranbir Kapoor in 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' was first offered to Katrina Kaif. However, Katrina's loss surely turned out to be Deepika's gain.
Rajendra Kumar: Jubilee Kumar Rajendra Kumar was not the first choice in Raj Kapoor and Vyjayanthimala starrer Sangam. Apparently, the role which was passed on by Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand, finally came to Rajendra Kumar.
Rajesh Khanna: Rajesh Khanna was not the original choice for once in a lifetime role in Anand. Apparently, Hrishikesh Mukherjee wanted Raj Kapoor or Shashi Kapoor and also considered Uttam Kumar and Kishore Kumar before he finally zeroed upon Rajesh Khanna.
Rani Mukerji: Rani Mukerji was not the original choice of Karan Johar for the supporting role of Tina in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Apparently, the role was turned down by a bevy of stars and finally went to Rani, which established her as one of the promising newcomers of Bollywood.
Saif Ali Khan rejected 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' While Shah Rukh Khan when on to be known as the 'king of romance' for his portrayal of Raj Malhotra in 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', he was not the initial choice for the role. Aditya Chopra planned to make a film on the lines of Hollywood and wanted to cast Tom Cruise, however, his second choice for the film was Saif and not Shah Rukh.
Salman Khan rejected 'Chak De! India' While there is no doubt that nobody could have played the role of former hockey player Kabir Khan better than Shah Rukh Khan, not many know that role was first offered to Salman Khan.
Shah Rukh Khan rejected 'Lagaan' While Aamir Khan's portrayal of Bhuvan went on to win a number of hearts, not many know that filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker's first choice for the role was Shah Rukh Khan. He even contemplated on casting Hrithik Roshan, Bobby Deol and Abhishek Bachchan for the role. However, looks like nobody have played the role better than Aamir did!
Shah Rukh Khan rejected 'Munna Bhai M.B.B.S' We always think who could've played the role of Murli Prasad Sharma AKA Munna Bhai better than Sanjay Dutt, however, it was after Shah Rukh Khan rejected the role that the makers approached Sanjay for the film.
Shammi Kapoor: India’s first dancing superstar Shammi Kapoor was not the first choice for Teesri Manzil and Tumsa Nahin Dekha. Apparently, filmmaker Nasir Hussain wanted to cast Dev Anand, eventually, the role went to Shammi Kapoor and established him as one of the finest actors of Hindi cinema
Sridevi rejected 'Baahubali' SS Rajamouli's 'Baahubali' has broken Box Office records, and continues to be one of the highest grosser of the year. However, while actress Ramya Krishnan is getting worldwide acclaim for her role as Queen Sivagami, not many know that the role was first offered to Sridevi Boney Kapoor. According to reports, a whopping fee is why the makers didn't finalise on Sridevi for the role.
Sunil Dutt: Sunil Dutt was not the original choice for the role of Birju in Mother India as the director wanted to cast someone else. Apparently, after much deliberation, the role finally fell into Sunil Dutt’s lap.
Vivek Oberoi rejected 'Hum Tum' Would Vivek Oberoi's film career be any different had he not rejected 'Hum Tum'? Well, the film surely proved to be beneficial for Saif Ali Khan who then went on to do the film and even won a National recognition for the same.
Insuring the tools of trade
Celebs & their insured body parts | Apr 8, 2017| IndiaTimes/ The Times of India
Take a look at the celebrities who've insured their sexy assets for some whopping millions
Gehana Vasisth : Grapevine has it that the Telugu actress Gehana has insured her breasts for 1 million rupees.
John Abraham: Bollywood heartthrob John Abraham has his irresistible derriere insured for Rs 10 Crore.
Lata Mangeshkar : Going by the reports, The Nightingale of India Lata Mangeshkar has insured her voice for an undisclosed amount.
Minissha Lamba: After her much-evident transformation from a girl-next-door to a sexy diva(all thanks to her bikini-act in 'Kidnap'), this B-town damsel reportedly insured her curvacious butt for an unknown amount.
Rakhi Sawant : Bollywood item girl insured her curvy derriere for an undisclosed amount.
Vijender Singh : Boxer Vijendar Singh reportedly insured his hands for an undisclosed amount.
Junior artistes, chorus dancers who became stars
Background dancers who became stars
Farah Khan Farah Khan also had a similar story. Before getting the chance to choreograph the song 'Pehla nasha' from the movie 'Joh Jeeta Whi Sikander', Farah had also worked as a background dancer. Not many know that Farah appeared as a background dancer in Govinda's 1986 film ‘Sadaa Suhagan’. A party song titled ‘Hum hain naujawan’ featured Farah dancing along with the background troop. Farah later did some voluntary fill-up roles in films like 'Om Shanti Om', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' and 'Kal Ho Na Ho' to name a few.
Saroj Khan The 'baap of choreographers' Saroj Khan, who was the genius behind the 'latkas and jhatkas' of Madhuri Dixit, also started her career as a background dancer in Bollywood films. Before she could start her career as an independent choreographer, she featured in a number of dacesequences in films of the 1950's.
Shahid Kapoor Like Sushant Singh Rajput, Shahid Kapoor was also a part of Shiamak Davar's dancing troop. "Shahid is a bundle of talent and not all of his talent is seen by the audience," said Shaimak about his student Shahid. Before his Bollywood debut, the talented young star was a part of Bollywood films like 'Dil Toh Pagal Hai' and 'Taal' as a background dancer. His claim to fame was his appearance in the music album by Aaryans 'Ankhon main...'.
Sushant Singh Rajput The 'M.S.Dhoni' star Sushant Singh Rajput has come a long way in the Bollywood film industry. The heartthrob started his career as a dancer as part of choreographer Shaimak Davar's dancing troop. He danced his way to success and starred in a number of Bollywood movie songs and stage shows. He can prominently be seen dancing behind Hrithik Roshan in the song 'Dhoom macha le...' from 'Dhoom'.
Arshad Warsi Famously known as Circuit in 'Munna Bhai M.B.B.S', Arshad Warsi started his career in the entertainment industry as a background dancer. It was on the dance floor that he also met his wife Maria. Long before taking centre stage as a leading man, Arshad Warsi and director Sajid Khan were seen as background dancers in Jeetendra and Kimi Katkar's movie 'Aag Se Khelenge'.
Remo D'Souza Famed choreographer-director Remo D'Souza, who shot to fame by judging a dance reality show 'Dance India Dance', also worked as a background dancer in Bollywood. He has seen the thick and thins of the glamour industry. Remo, who is now a well-known choreographer once danced behind the leads in Bollywood movies. He got his first break in the Ram Gopal Varma film 'Rangeela' and went on to assist Ahmed Khan for a year.
Navratri: How much celebrities earn during festivities
With the Navratri festival in full swing, garba enthusiasts across the country are gearing up to dress in their colourful costumes, grab the dandiya sticks and head to their nearest pandals. This nine days long revelry is one of the most awaited time of the year when youngsters get a chance to show off their dance moves, meet new people, dress in their Sunday best and catch a glimpse of their favourite stars. This is also a time when celebrities get a chance to rake in moolah. While some stars attend these Navratri events to promote their films, there are many who make some big bucks by 'fleeting appearances' at these pandals. Let us have a look at the stars who come and attend these festivities...
Drashti Dhami: The Madhubala of Indian television and the winner of last year's Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Drashti Dhami is one of the most popular faces in dandiya pandals. Not only is she beautiful and has a huge fan following but being a Gujarati she is well-versed with the garba dance form and identifies with the significance of the festival. She reportedly charges 4.5 lakh- 5 lakh for a single appearance.
Mohit Raina and Hina Khan: While he is the quintessential TV hottie who plays the role of Lord Shiva with perfection, Hina Khan is the gorgeous daughter-in-law of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. They both are extremely popular among the audience and are often spotted at the dandiya events. A DNA report of 2013 says that both Mohit (Mahadev) and Hina (Akshara) charge Rs 2-3 lakhs. However, this is just for one appearance or a performance. Though these are estimated figures of last year, we are sure that this year they might be getting a higher amount. It would be indeed a delight to see them dance to the latest garba beats.
Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar: They stole our hearts as the perfect couple in Ekta Kapoor’s Bade Achhe Lagte Hain and we are sure they would be a hit at dandiya pandals too. Considered as the power couple of television, Ram and Sakshi are extremely popular among the audience and enjoy an immense fan following. A TOI report dated October 2012 says that senior TV actors like Ram Kapoor, Ronit Roy and Sakshi Tanwar demand 7 lakh and 10 lakh if they attend a Navratri event. When these stars visit the venue, they are expected to pose for pictures, wave at the crowds, dance a bit and interact with fans on stage. They bring in the necessary glamour in these events.
Siddharth Shukla: This tall, fair and handsome ‘Shiv’ of Balika Vadhu fame wowed us with his performance in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. He is considered as one of the most attractive heroes of television and made a recent debut in Bollywood with the Karan Johar movie. The actor reportedly charges up to Rs 5 lakh for an appearance in these dandiya events. It is said that his fans were very excited to see him on stage and he was gracious enough to pose with his fans.
Jennifer Winget and Karan Singh Grover: The two most glamorous stars of television broke many hearts when they got married in 2012. However, we think they make a very handsome couple and are completely made for each other. Like other popular TV actors in demand during the Navratri festivities, Jennifer and Karan are also invited to be a part of garba festivities. A TOI report dated 2013 says they charge anything between Rs 4 lakh to 4.5 lakh for a single appearance. However, we are not sure if they charge this individually or that is what they charge to make an appearance as a couple. Their chemistry will surely light up the dandiya pandals and will make the ambiance more romantic.
Falguni Pathak: She is rightly called the Dandiya Queen as she has a melodious voice and can charge up the atmosphere by belting out her hit dandiya numbers. She is a regular in these dandiya events and is very popular among audience. However, a Mid-Day report says that Falguni will perform in Goregaon and that too will get Rs 50 lakh less than what she took home in 2013. The Mid-Day report adds that she has been hired by Wizcraft for Rs 1.5 crore for the nine nights. Well we sure know she will be a super success at Goregaon
Sonu Nigam: When it comes to organising pandals and garba nights, organisers operate on a simple mantra and that is to get singers at the venue, and the crowds will follow. Sonu is one of the most popular singers of today and has a huge fan following. It is said several event management companies and organisers prefer to call singers as they can sing as well as entertain the audience. Hence, singers like Sonu Nigam, Falguni Pathak, Daler Mehndi and Mika are very popular and reportedly get a huge amount if they perform at all nine nights. Well we sure that having them would make sure the dandiya nights will indeed be a rocking affair.
Salaries of stars
The highest paid in 2014
Highest paid actors
Salman Khan is the highest paid actor in Bollywood. He charges a massive Rs. 60 crores for a film these days.
The rumour has it that Aamir Khan charged Rs 45 crores for Dhoom 3.
Shah Rukh Khan reportedly charged Rs 35 crores for his recent movie Jab Tak Hai Jaan. [Bad example. What Yash Chopra or even YR Films pay someone is rarely his true market worth, more pertinent is what SRK got for Chennai Express
Rajnikanth: Our very own superstar Rajnikanth is one of the highest earning actors in the country. He charges 25-30 crore for a movie.
If reports are to be believed, Akshay Kumar charges Rs 40 to 45 crores per film.
Hrithik Roshan reportedly charged a massive Rs 25 crores fee for Krrish 3.
Ranbir Kapoor has now become one of the highest paid actors of Filmistan . He recently hiked his fee to 15 crore per film.
The versatile Saif Ali Khan reportedly charges Rs 15-20 crores per film
Despite his Himmatwala and Satyagraha not doing very well, Ajay Devgn still is one of the most popular actors in Bollywood. He reportedly charges Rs 18 crores per film.
Riding high on the success of Madras Cafe, John Abraham reportedly charged Rs 15 crores for the sequel of Welcome
Even in his 70s, Amitabh Bachchan is one of the highest paid actors in Bollywood. He reportedly charges 4 to 6 crore for his character roles in the movies.
Super-sexy Kareena Kapoor is one of the highest paid actresses in Bollywood. The actress charges Rs 12-15 crores for a movie.
Recently, a daily reported that Priyanka Chopra charged Rs. 9 crore for Zanjeer.
The gorgeous Aishwarya Rai is still a box office draw. The actress reportedly is the highest paid actress of Bollywood.
Tax evasion
Service tax anomalies: 2017
CAG scanner on actors for service tax anomalies | TNN | Aug 5, 2017 | IndiaTimes/ The Times of India
A number of Bollywood stars are under CAG radar for tax evasion.
Some of the actors under CAG scanner are: Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh and Arjun Rampal.
NEW DELHI: A number of Bollywood stars are under the scrutiny of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) which has detected at least 156 cases of non-compliance of rules and short payment of service tax, with revenue implication of more than Rs 50 crore.
A CAG report, tabled in Parliament on Friday, has pointed out anomalies in collection of service tax from actors Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh and Arjun Rampal. While the service tax authorities have told CAG that show-cause notices have been servd to Devgn, Deshmukh and Rampal, the department has not clarified what action it has initiated against Khan for short payment.
"During the examination of records of Khan, Rampal, Deshmukh and Devgn, we observed from the agreements between producer and actors that the producers, being service recipients, agreed to provide for and bear expenses relating to arrangement of the services for travel, lodging and boarding of the make-up artist, hair stylist and spot boy," the report said. Though these services fall in the ambit of additional consideration directly and inextricably linked to the services provided by the assessees to the said service recipients, the value of this additional consideration was not included in taxable value of the assesses, the auditor noted.
In case of actor Ranbir Kapoor, the CAG said: "We noticed two instances where for the same film shot in India and abroad, the payment for the portion shot abroad was arranged from foreign companies, thereby the service was made to look as export of service with no tax liability."
"Kapoor acted in the movie 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' produced by Dharma Productions Pvt Ltd, shot both in India and New York. He received a consideration of Rs 6.75 crore from a foreign company, ADHM Films Ltd. (UK), based in London for the film shot in UK and did not pay service tax of Rs 83.43 lakh treating the same as export of services," the auditor pointed out.
Taxes paid
In the late 2010s, early 2020s
India Times- The Times of India 17 Jul. 23
Male actors
Akshay Kumar pays the highest amount in taxes, a gigantic Rs 25 crore.
Female acrors
Deepika Padukone is currently considered the highest taxpayer as reports suggest that she has been paying an estimated amount of over Rs 10 crore every year since the FY 2016-17. No other leading lady from B-Town has come close to the ‘Pathaan’ actress in all these years. According to reports, Deepika has an estimated net worth of Rs 500 crore and earns around Rs 40 crore per year. The 37-year-old star has reportedly increased her per film fee to Rs 15-20 crore and brand endorsement rate to Rs 8 crore since 2018.
Alia Bhatt is reportedly second in the list of highest tax-paying actresses and is known to pay Rs 5-6 crore every year.
Katrina Kaif was leading the highest tax-paying actress list in the FY 2013-14 but was soon dethroned by Deepika Padukone.
