Hrithik is Bollywood's highest paid star

MUMBAI: It isn't official as yet, but Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan has gone beyond any actor's pricing after signing a deal with Adlabs at a reported price of a whopping Rs.350 million (Rs 35 crores).

Manmohan Shetty's company Adlabs Film has apparently signed the Krrish star for a three-film deal. While Hrithik's dad Rakesh Roshan says "negotiations are on", other reliable sources say the deal has been signed, sealed and delivered.

Hrithik's price? A staggering Rs.350 million. This makes him the highest-paid star in Bollywood, outpricing every other actor, including Aamir Khan, who was reportedly paid Rs.70 million for Rang De Basanti.

Hrithik's reported price would change the entire pricing system in Bollywood, spiralling star fees beyond control.

A top filmmaker, who chooses to be anonymous until Hrithik's price is made official, is aghast. 

He said: "If true, this is a very unhealthy development. Hrithik is no doubt a fabulous hard-working actor. But star prices have constantly been the bane of Bollywood. Often more than 65 per cent of the budget for a film goes to the stars.

"Why, even a newcomer like Shiney Ahuja charges Rs.1 crore (Rs.10 million). The ladies get far less. But a two-film old Kangana Ranaut asks for and gets approximately Rs.30 lakh (Rs.3 million). Now God knows how medium-budget filmmakers will manage the monies."

There's no doubt the three-film deal that Hrithik has clinched with Adlabs will dramatically revise the pricing system in Bollywood.