There is no doubt that Akshay Kumar is one of the most bankable leading men in Bollywood. His presence in a film guarantees nothing but sure-shot success at the box-office and hence, several big filmmakers are scrambling to have him feature in their films. Kumar is one of those few actors who can promise a big audience at the cash counter and make a venture profitable for all the stakeholders involved. But not everyone can afford him. He comes with a huge price tag.
News has it that that Akshay Kumar is getting paid a humongous amount of ₹ 120 crore to headline an upcoming film which also features Dhanush and Sara Ali Khan in lead roles. Well-known filmmaker Aanand L Rai, who last directed Zero (2018), will call the shots for the yet to be titled project.
“Akshay Kumar is known to charge upfront fees and in today’s time, his name attracts the audience not just in the cinema hall but also gets lucrative offers from digital and satellite networks. Akshay and his team believe that the actor deserves ₹ 100 crore plus as acting fees for the goodwill that he brings to the project,” a source close to the development informs an entertainment portal.
If the news turns out to be true, it will establish Kumar as the highest-paid actor in Bollywood. The forthcoming film is expected to begin production in the second half of 2020 and the announcement regarding Kumar’s presence in the film is expected to be made in a couple of weeks.
Reportedly, several streaming media giants and satellite channels have also approached Akshay Kumar to sign multi-film deals. However, the actor has not shown much interest in them. “Akshay’s market is going up with every passing film and hence he is not keen to package all of his upcoming projects together. He prefers selling films on an individual basis as it has been an upward graph for him as far as his career trend is concerned,” the source added.
Meanwhile, Khiladi Kumar is looking forward to the release of his next film Sooryavanshi. Directed by Rohit Shetty, the film also stars Katrina Kaif and is scheduled to roll into theatres on 27th March, 2020.