Highest Paid Indian Actor: Akshay Kumar Is The Only Bollywood Star On Forbes' List

Akshay Kumar is India’s highest paid actor. He was also the only Bollywood star who made it to Forbes’ list of World’s Highest-Paid Actors in 2019.

Kumar earned $65 million from June 1, 2018 to June 1, 2019, which secured him the 4th spot on the list. Surprisingly, he outranked more established Hollywood stars such as Jackie Chan, Bradley Cooper, Adam Sandler, Chris Evans, Paul Rudd and Will Smith. The ones who earned more than Kumar were Dwayne Johnson, who was on top of the list, and Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr. trailing behind.

Curiously, a lot of the actors who appeared on the list benefitted from the “Avengers: Endgame” film. As the only Indian and Bollywood actor on the list who did not have any project in Hollywood, Kumar’s inclusion in the list is a huge achievement.

According to Economic Times, it is estimated that Kumar is getting as much as $10 million per movie. He also has some endorsement deals that further boosted his net worth. Among the highest grossing films of the Bollywood star are “Housefull 4,” “Good Newwz,” “Mission Mangal” and “2” among others. His spot on the list was likely boosted by the success of “Mission Mangal,” which fetched a handsome 202.85 crores.

However, when it comes to the wealthiest Bollywood actors, Akshay Kumar is only 5th on the list. Per Blognox, his total net worth for 2020 is $180 million. The actors after him on the list are Saif Ali Khan ($140 milion), Dharmendra ($70 million), Ranbir Kapoor ($66 million), John Abraham ($55 million) and Hrithik Roshan ($45 million).

Reigning on top of the rankings is Shahrukh Khan with a whopping $750 million. His annual income is estimated to be $42 million. Second to fourth spots go to Amitabh Bachchan with $400 million, Salman Khan with $318 million and Aamir Khan with $185 million.

A lot of Bollywood actors on the list have built their fortunes via multiple endorsement deals and movie releases, which are often two to three per year. As for Kumar, he has collaborated with brands such as Tata Motors and PC Jeweller. He has also appeared in road safety awareness campaigns.

Like any other wealthy celebrities, the “Housefull 4” star has several properties. A separate report by Blognox indicated that Kumar lives in Prime Beach, a building which also houses Hrithik Roshan. In terms of cars, Kumar likes it fancy and his garage features several high-end vehicles like the Porsche 911 Carrera, Hummer H1, Ferrari California and Bentley Turbo R, among others.

Meanwhile, the Bollywood industry is currently reeling from the demise of one of its most successful actors who managed to break into Hollywood, Irrfan Khan. The “Slumdog Millionaire” actor succumbed to colon infection just days after his mother died.