HoneY
MaaPeya Da LaaDLa
Namastey London, Partner and now a box office Welcome that's put Katrina Kaif ahead in the Race to the top.
At least as far as her market price goes, Katrina is being paid Rs six crores for a two-film deal by production house Studio 18. That's Rs three crore per film.
She is getting over a crore for a item number song in the Akshay Kumar starrer Blue. And now even a Yash Raj flick with John Abraham is reportedly paying her Rs three crores.
All this makes Katreena Kaif one of Bollywood's highest paid actresses alongside Kareena Kapoor.
Kareena, who also reportedly charges about Rs three crores a film, has a two-film deal with Studio18 and another three film deal with Ashtavinayak Films that produced Jab We Met.
The Katrina deal according to reports seems to have rattled Kareena and she's raised her price tag to Rs six crore for her next film. But Ashtavinayak Films that's producing the film has denied any such demand. So maybe no one is willing to sign Kareena as yet for that kind of money.
Proved merit
But she has proved some merit as a performer and industry insiders say if a star like Katrina gets as much as her there is clearly something lopsided about the deal.
It is perhaps because the industry still functions under an old order where perception is everything.
The more hits you are attached to greater your value.
So, even though Katrina may have been no more than arm candy in her recent three hits, her value against Kareena's single hit Jab we Met is much higher.
''It's all a perception. Katrina has been part of several successful films and has been able to hold a role with actors like Akshay Kunmar, Salman and Govinda, who are all known to be good actors. And whether she has been ornamental or not, doesn't really matter. What matters is that she's successful. Similarly Kareena, there's so much hype built around her. She has had a couple of decent performances. I would not say good because she is not really a great actress. Neither does she have a huge range. But she has had successful films. And if you have some successful films, well there you are, you are made," said Indu Mirani, trade analyst.
Not long ago Aishwarya Rai had asked for Rs four crore for Rajnikant's Robot. Even though she is an international face she reportedly did not get it.
Currently she charges just about Rs 2.5 crore. Doing just marginally better than Priyanka Chopra. And Rani Mukherjee despite a slew a critical successes is still stuck at Rs 1.5 crores.
NDTV: They have a good body of work so they can demand more?
Mirani: That argument is not in the least bit valid because if you are an actress, you have to be perceived not as an actor or actress, you have to be perceived as a star. And if you are successful with commercial stars, you are a commercial star. If you go and do women-oriented films, they may be beautiful and you may be doing cinema, but you won't get that sort of money.
Pushing the glass ceiling
So Katrina's making the Rs three crore bracket may have certainly done one good thing, that is get leading ladies the kind of money they've always wanted, pushing the glass ceiling in this hero dominated industry a little bit.
But then again this raise may not be that much given that the heroes are now charging in the double digit for their multi-film deals.
Kabir Khan of Kabul Express fame, who is going to direct Katrina's next, says though some senior heroines deserve the money they are asking for but the surprise pricing in some cases could just be an over hype dictated by market forces of supply and demand.
With the entry of new age production houses there is more money in the market more movies to be made. These production houses are keen to cash in as much on the brand value of male leads as much as the female.
But are such starry prices sustainable in the long run? Experts say certainly not.
At least as far as her market price goes, Katrina is being paid Rs six crores for a two-film deal by production house Studio 18. That's Rs three crore per film.
She is getting over a crore for a item number song in the Akshay Kumar starrer Blue. And now even a Yash Raj flick with John Abraham is reportedly paying her Rs three crores.
All this makes Katreena Kaif one of Bollywood's highest paid actresses alongside Kareena Kapoor.
Kareena, who also reportedly charges about Rs three crores a film, has a two-film deal with Studio18 and another three film deal with Ashtavinayak Films that produced Jab We Met.
The Katrina deal according to reports seems to have rattled Kareena and she's raised her price tag to Rs six crore for her next film. But Ashtavinayak Films that's producing the film has denied any such demand. So maybe no one is willing to sign Kareena as yet for that kind of money.
Proved merit
But she has proved some merit as a performer and industry insiders say if a star like Katrina gets as much as her there is clearly something lopsided about the deal.
It is perhaps because the industry still functions under an old order where perception is everything.
The more hits you are attached to greater your value.
So, even though Katrina may have been no more than arm candy in her recent three hits, her value against Kareena's single hit Jab we Met is much higher.
''It's all a perception. Katrina has been part of several successful films and has been able to hold a role with actors like Akshay Kunmar, Salman and Govinda, who are all known to be good actors. And whether she has been ornamental or not, doesn't really matter. What matters is that she's successful. Similarly Kareena, there's so much hype built around her. She has had a couple of decent performances. I would not say good because she is not really a great actress. Neither does she have a huge range. But she has had successful films. And if you have some successful films, well there you are, you are made," said Indu Mirani, trade analyst.
Not long ago Aishwarya Rai had asked for Rs four crore for Rajnikant's Robot. Even though she is an international face she reportedly did not get it.
Currently she charges just about Rs 2.5 crore. Doing just marginally better than Priyanka Chopra. And Rani Mukherjee despite a slew a critical successes is still stuck at Rs 1.5 crores.
NDTV: They have a good body of work so they can demand more?
Mirani: That argument is not in the least bit valid because if you are an actress, you have to be perceived not as an actor or actress, you have to be perceived as a star. And if you are successful with commercial stars, you are a commercial star. If you go and do women-oriented films, they may be beautiful and you may be doing cinema, but you won't get that sort of money.
Pushing the glass ceiling
So Katrina's making the Rs three crore bracket may have certainly done one good thing, that is get leading ladies the kind of money they've always wanted, pushing the glass ceiling in this hero dominated industry a little bit.
But then again this raise may not be that much given that the heroes are now charging in the double digit for their multi-film deals.
Kabir Khan of Kabul Express fame, who is going to direct Katrina's next, says though some senior heroines deserve the money they are asking for but the surprise pricing in some cases could just be an over hype dictated by market forces of supply and demand.
With the entry of new age production houses there is more money in the market more movies to be made. These production houses are keen to cash in as much on the brand value of male leads as much as the female.
But are such starry prices sustainable in the long run? Experts say certainly not.
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