Aishwarya Rai the highest paid Actress

The lukewarm response to her recent Hollywood
release Pink Panther-II has had Aishwarya Rai Bachchan(35) conceding her
position as the most popular face of Bollywood in the West to the new
international craze 24-year-old Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) who according
to reliable sources has been signed for two films-one with Woody Allen and the
second with Julian Schnabel. Freida, who is said to have earned over two million
pounds, overtaking Bollywood beauties like Aishwarya, Kareena Kapoor and Katrina
Kaif is also, according to a world film distributor being wooed to walk the red
carpet at Cannes in May 2009. On the Bollywood front, Kareena Kapoor (28) has
nudged Aishwarya Rai Bachchan out of the Filmfare Top-10 Power list.

But a producer from Chennai confirms that Ash is
still the highest paid Indian actress and has reportedly been paid a fee of Rs
six crore for Shankar’s Robot where she is cast opposite Rajnikant. The actress
is said to have received a cheque of Rs one crore as signing amount, that is
also a first. Usually it is only the leading men who receive such a big sum as a
signing amount.Reportedly, Rajnikant himself is said to come with a price tag of
Rs 25 crore for the same film. He will also get a share in the profits since
Robot will be released in Hindi and Tamil. The Tamil superstar will be on top of
the heap even as far as Bollywood heroes’ prices go. Regarding Aishwarya’s
price, her manager Hari Singh said, “Aishwarya is definitely one of the highly
paid actors in the country, but I would not like to comment on the price she has
been paid.

Singh also said that exaggerated prices often made
the rounds.Closer home, Kareena Kapoor has reportedly been paid Rs 2.5 crore for
Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kambakkht Ishq. Nadiadwala refuses to comment on his
heroine’s price but says, “She has been paid what she deserves. According to him
with film corporations in the fray, there is more transparency involved and
people can actually check prices. “But that is a whole load of hogwash,” says a
trade consultant. “Bollywood still continues to be ambiguous with its payments.
What is shown on paper is not necessarily the right price.Katrina Kaif is said
to have been paid Rs 2 crore for Ramesh Taurani’s Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani,
Priyanka Chopra Rs 2 crore for Vishaal Bharadwaj’s Kaminaay.

Of the leading men, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar have
last been paid Rs 21 crore for Ghajini and Singh is Kinng, plus a reported share
in the profits. Shah Rukh Khan is said to have had a share in profits for Aditya
Chopra’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and he is a partner on Karan Johar’s My Name is
Khan, as Johar himself was quoted saying, “It is difficult to put a price tag on
Sahrukh Khan.”