Will Aamir Khan be the highest paid on TV?

With more Bollywood biggies heading into television, there is a sudden shift in terms of the moolah being offered to them, thereby changing the existing heirarchy of the highest paid. The recent entry of actor Aamir Khan on television has apparently led to a reshuffle as buzz has it that he’s getting paid Rs3 crore to anchor Satyamev Jayate.

If so, this 3-crore figure not only makes the issue-based show one of the most expensive ones on Indian television, it also puts Aamir ahead of all the other B-Town A-listers on TV, say industry experts.  Says an insider, “Aamir getting around 3 crore for his debut TV series comes as no surprise. He’s probably one of the most bankable actors in Bollywood. He brings a lot of creative elements to the table.”

The source adds, “The talk of 3 crore is really nothing. The show is unique and the big budget justifies it. That is the reason it may turn out to be probably one of the most expensive shows in our television history,” the source adds.

Where does that put actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan who’ve created records and set trends on the tube? According to the industry sources, Amitabh apparently got a fee of Rs2 crore for his stint in Kaun Banega Crorepati 5, while Salman got reportedly around Rs2 crore for lending his presence to Bigg Boss 5, which he co-hosted along with actor Sanjay Dutt. Actor Hrithik Roshan, apparently received around Rs1.75 crore when he debuted as the host of a dance reality show Just Dance. Should the Rs3-crore deal be true, Aamir’s presence might change the heirarchy. But a source warns against jumping the gun. 

“Aamir may not be that much ahead for long because rumours are doing the rounds about  Big B’s return to KBC. It’ll probably up the stakes as the producers are desperate for Amitabh to come back,” he said.