Mega Deal - With reported $7.6 million, Hrithik Roshan is Bollywood’s highest paid star

Actor Hrithik Roshan has gone beyond any actor’s pricing after signing a deal with Adlabs, a Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group company, at a reported price of a whopping Rs. 350 million ($7.6 million).

Adlabs Film Ltd. has apparently signed the ‘Krrish’ star for a three-film deal. While Roshan’s father Rakesh Roshan says “negotiations are on,” other reliable sources say the deal has been signed, sealed and delivered.

The deal makes him the highest-paid star in Bollywood, outpricing every other actor, including Aamir Khan, who was reportedly paid Rs. 70 million ($1.5 million) for supethit film ‘Rang De Basanti.’ Roshan’s reported price would change the entire pricing system in Bollywood, spiralling star fees out of control.

A famous filmmaker, who wanted to be anonymous, 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 percent of the budget for a film goes to the stars.” “Why, even a newcomer like Shiney Ahuja charges Rs. 10 million ($217,391). The female actresses get far less. But a two-film old Kangana Ranaut asks for and gets approximately Rs. 3 million ($65,217). Now god knows how medium-budget filmmakers will manage the monies.” The three films will be made in a span of fourand-a-half years. Which means that there will be one film produced by Adlabs with Roshan in the lead role every 18 months.