Shah Rukh Khan to Salman Khan to Hrithik Roshan: How are Bollywood stars paid for movies? Producer on fee structure

Bollywood’s obsession with stardom has long influenced the industry's financial structure, often sidelining writers and content creators. The spotlight has recently shifted to actor fees and the disproportionate pay scale between superstars and supporting artists. In a recent conversation with Screen, veteran producer Anand Pandit shed light on the inner workings of actor remuneration in the Hindi film industry, revealing just how skewed the system has become.

Only Handful of Stars Command Big Money
According to Pandit, despite India having a population of over 140 crore, there are only around ten Bollywood actors who are actually “sellable.” These few names dominate the industry and demand fees in hundreds of crores. “It is a simple case of demand and supply,” Pandit said, noting that producers pay high amounts if they believe a film will recover its investment because of a superstar’s presence.

For instance, Shah Rukh Khan was reportedly paid between Rs 150 to Rs 250 crore for Jawan, while Allu Arjun allegedly received Rs 300 crore for Pushpa 2. Aamir Khan, too, made headlines for charging Rs 100 to Rs 275 crore for Laal Singh Chaddha, a film that flopped. Interestingly, Aamir later clarified that he didn’t take any money after the film failed.

Fees Should Be Linked to Film’s Performance
Pandit argued for a performance-based compensation model. He believes an actor’s fee should depend on a film’s box office collection, especially during its opening weekend. “If a star charges an ‘x’ amount, he should also be responsible to bring back that amount or more for the producer in the first few days,” he explained.

Currently, many actors operate on a hybrid model—charging a base fee along with a profit-sharing agreement. “There’s generally a minimum fee set for actors plus a share in the profit,” Pandit confirmed. Though he refrained from naming them, he acknowledged that several big stars have adopted this model.

Urging that the industry needs to invest in writers, Pandit expressed concern about the lack of originality in Bollywood. “We’ve started spending money on the film’s look and star value rather than on the writers,” he said, adding that there was a time when names like Salim-Javed sold films based on their scripts alone.

Who is Anand Pandit?
Anand Pandit is a prominent Indian film producer, distributor, and real estate developer. He is the founder of Anand Pandit Motion Pictures, a studio behind several Bollywood releases like Total Dhamaal, Sarkar 3, The Big Bull, and Chehre. Apart from Hindi films, he has also made significant contributions to regional cinema, producing successful Gujarati films such as Fakt Mahilao Maate and Tron Ekka, as well as Marathi titles like Baap Manus and Victoria.

Having entered the film business in 2000, Pandit has expanded his presence across languages—including the Kannada film Kabzaa, which also released in Hindi. In addition to cinema, he runs Lotus Developers, a real estate firm based in Mumbai that focuses on luxury projects.

With over two decades of experience in production, financing, and distribution, Pandit continues to stay active in both the entertainment and property sectors, balancing mainstream projects with regional and historical films like Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, based on the life of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.