Bollywood's Richest Actor

The fast, furious and fleeting appearance of King Khan in Gurgaon takes the revellers' breath away. Even more breathtaking, however, is that SRK flew back to Mumbai the next morning, richer, reportedly by Rs 5 crore that was paid for his 10-minute cameo.

By: Dhiman Chattopadhyay and Anusha Subramanian (Business Today)

December 31, 2009: Time: Close to the witching hour. Location: A party hotspot in Gurgaon on New Delhi's outskirts to which a city-based gutkha baron has invited hundreds of celebrities and wannabes to usher in the New Year. A string of performers-from singer Shankar Mahadevan to starlets such as Minissha Lamba-strut their stuff. Suddenly, out of nowhere emerges an eminently recognisable bundle of nervous energy-a certain Shah Rukh Khan. He jokes, shakes a leg and does a quick song-and-dance routine. The fast, furious and fleeting appearance of the 44-year-old Badshah of Bollywood takes the revellers' breath away. Even more breathtaking, however, is that SRK flew back to Mumbai the next morning, richer, reportedly by Rs 5 crore that was paid for his 10-minute cameo.

November 2009: SRK is shooting a new ad for direct-to-home (DTH) service provider Dish TV-a film in which SRK as a senior citizen relives his romantic heydays thanks to the pictures beamed by Dish TV on the telly. Between shots he quizzes company COO Salil Kapoor on the DTH business, and is keen to know how it works. He also doesn't lose the opportunity to tell the agency, McCann Erickson, that the ad was conceptualised by him. "But what impressed me most was his knowledge of consumer behaviour and marketing. He could easily give a lecture at an IIM on the subject," says Kapoor. The ad is shot over three days after which SRK walks away with a Rs 7-crore cheque.

February 12, 2010: My Name is Khan, produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, is slated for release. The story of an autistic Mumbai Muslim who marries a Hindu could add some Rs 10 crore to SRK's kitty if audiences lap it up. Eleven days prior to this, Shah Rukh rang the opening bell at the New York-based NASDAQ stock exchange, an honour usually reserved for CEOs.

February 26: Discovery Travel and Living's 10-part series, Living with a Superstar-Shah Rukh Khan, will go on air. The biggest Indian show on TV, with a budget of nearly Rs 20 crore, delves into different shades of SRK's life: As a father, a husband, a businessman, and of course, an entertainer. SRK personally will not earn much from this show. Red Chillies Idiot Box, an arm of SRK's Red Chillies Entertainment, which is co-producing the show, stands to gain much of the spoils. Discovery has already sold all ad inventories for this show.

Every step he takes, every move he makes, somebody's out there watching him-and somebody's out there willing to pay a small fortune to see him perform. Whether he's acting, or endorsing a brand, or just being himself at an awards ceremony, SRK mints money. And let's not forget the company he owns along with wife Gauri: Red Chillies Entertainment, which has diversified into highgrowth areas of entertainment like visual effects, television commercials, television programming, in addition to the mainstay of film-making. Put all these interests together and you have a superstar with a net worth of roughly Rs 1,500 crore, making him arguably Bollywood's richest star.

Bollywood's Richest Actor

THE Rs 1,500* cr HERO

BRAND ENDORSEMENTS : Rs 238 cr, 34 brands; charges Rs 7 crore for each

SHOWS AND EVENTS: Rs 75 cr

ACTING IN FILMS: Rs 12 cr Per film or a share of the profit

RED CHILLIES ENTERTAINMENT (Including Kolkata Knight Riders): Rs 500 cr

MISC. ASSETS: Rs 10 cr Includes luxury cars, designer watches, etc.

REAL ESTATE: Rs 650 cr Includes homes in Mumbai, London and Dubai, and other real estate investments

* Estimates based on sources such as TAM, www.mca.gov.in, and industry sources.