Bollywood babes getting paid hefty fee cheques equal to male counterparts

Sipping the Gossips with Goher Iqbal Punn

Hindi film industry has now turned so much alluring, attractive and sparkling for all and sundry who want to join in – there is so much scope to show the talents, wider opportunities to earn big international fame and golden platform to earn the unexpectedly bigger amounts to fill your bank accounts with bulky payments.

Previously we used to hear that the Indian cinema industry was a male-dominant fraternity and the movies used to focus on the heroes only. The big fame was only for the heroes and the males of the film industry and obviously they were destined to earn as big as they want (with their fame and stardom). Heroines were very lesser paid than their male counterparts. A few leading babes were the ones who were paid a bit better otherwise there was no larger scope for the females in Bollywood for the lip-smacking bucks and even fame. All was fetched by the males of the filmdom.

Today the scenario is changed. Leading ladies of the film industry earn handsome and are known internationally higher equal to their male counterparts. Since last year in particular, the women-centric movies have started doing much better at the box office that the leading women of the industry have started being labeled ‘hero’ of the movies.

The women of Bollywood cinema have now begun being paid much equal to the male heroes of the entertainment industry. Box office results have now changed and today the women-oriented movies too make equal to the male-oriented movies. This means Bollywood heroines too can carry the films on their shoulders without even the presence of the male heroes. This has surely given the confidence to the producers to rope them safely in their ventures.

Today even the Bollywood leading heroines have started taking the profit share in the film’s business apart from their mammoth fee checks. Earlier the leading heroes of the film industry such as Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar were being offered the share in profits (in addition to the film’s fees).

Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif both are today’s top notch Bollywood actresses and they charge almost equal for the films and brand endorsements. But Kareena takes the lead on Katrina in terms of women-oriented films. She was offered the upcoming and on the floors film ‘Heroine’, which revolves around the subject of a woman. Kareena, 31, has also become the first leading lady of the Bollywood to get a share in film’s profits. As per the sources, Kareena has joined in the bandwagon of the Bollywood superstars such as Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar who earn the big bucks through film rights. Trade pundits are not surprised at all as the box office results of Kapoor are super impressive. Kareena Kapoor is the only Bollywood babe who has four consecutive blockbusters – 3 Idiots, Golmaal 3, Bodyguard and Ra.One. And all of these movies grossed over 100 crores mark at the box office.

Kareena Kapoor reportedly charges INR. 4-5 crores for a movie and for Heroine, she has reportedly taken INR. 8 crores plus a share in profits.

Vidya Balan too is on high heels of success these days. After striking gold in the flicks – No One Killed Jessica, The Dirty Picture and Kahaani, Vidya has now begun asking for the big price for a movie even more than the price the leading hero of the movie charges. Rangita Nandy approached her for the sequel to the Pyar Ke Side Effects. But Vidya asked to get paid more than the leading hero (Farhan Akhtar).

Vidya Balan’s fees for a film was INR. 1.5-2 crore but post the bigger success of The Dirty Picture and Kahaani, she has increased it to INR. 7 crores a film.

Priyanka Chopra too has increased her price rather shot it too high all at once after the colossal success of Don 2 and Agneepath. She charged INR. 9 crores (as per reports) for the remake of Zanjeer which stars Ram Charan Teja and Priyanka Chopra in main leads.

Although the leading women of the film industry have increased their prices super high which are equivalent to the leading heroes of the film industry, nonetheless the superstars of Bollywood still rule the scenes with three-four times (even more in some cases) more than their (actresses’ price) fees.

Producers are easily willing to give these bigger prices to heroines today. Reason is obvious that their movies bring in lucrative box office results.

Year 2012-2013 are slated for more six women-centric movies such as Aiya (Rani Mukherjee), Dangerous Ishq (Karishma Kapoor), Love in Paris (Preity Zinta), Heroine (Kareena Kapoor) and English Vinglish (Sri Devi).

It is without any doubt a good sign for Bollywood industry that the women-centric movies have started being applauded and viewed.