Today, India's biggest superstars charge in excess of Rs 100 crore per film. But not too long ago when even Rs 1 crore per film looked like a distant dream until one megastar broke that glass ceiling.
The economics of filmmaking have always revolved around the hero. The biggest films – be it action or romance – have always been sold using the name of the lead actor, and often actress. But this has meant that some of the biggest stars in the world have been able to command a lion’s share of the cost of a film. Today, India’s biggest superstars charge in excess of Rs 100 crore per film. But there was a time, not too long ago when even Rs 1 crore per film looked like a distant dream. That was until one megastar broke that glass ceiling.
The star who was first to charge Rs 1 crore per film
The year was 1992. Amitabh Bachchan was the reigning Shehanshah of Bollywood. Down south, Rajinikanth was asserting himself as a superstar in his own right. And yet, neither of them earned Rs 1 crore per film by then. But in Tollywood, one man did. Megastar Chiranjeevi charged Rs 1.25 crore for Aapadbandhavudu, becoming the highest-paid actor in India. Amitabh Bachchan was reportedly charging around Rs 90 lakh at that time.
When Chiranjeevi was ‘bigger than Bachchan’
Soon after this breakthrough, Chiranjeevi was hailed as the biggest star in India in terms of market power. The Week magazine carried a cover story on him in September with the headline: Bigger than Bachchan. Aapadbandhavudu was a huge success, further establishing Chiranjeevi as the dominant actor in Telugu film industry, a tag he would wear for another decade with several blockbusters, including the industry hit Indra. In 2008, Chiranjeevi shocked his fans when he announced that he was quitting films to focus on politics. The megastar followed through with this decision and was away from films for almost a decade. He returned with the 2017 hit Khaidi No 2017 and has since delivered many other blockbusters.
How Indian cinema’s Rs 1-crore club grew
Kamal Haasan was the next star to charge Rs 1 crore, which he did in 1994. Rajinikanth, his rival and friend, soon followed duit. When Amitabh Bachchan returned after his sabbatical in 1996, he also began charging Rs 1 crore per film. In 1996, Sridevi became the first Indian actress to charge that sum for one film. In a couple of years, the three Khans also became members of the club. Today, this remuneration is charged by almost every star worth their salt in most major film industries of India.
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