Posted:
| Ronit Roy, Varun Badola |
| Hiten tejwani, Cezanne Khan, Apoorva Agnihotri |
| Rajeev Khandelwal, Hussain, Eijaz Khan |
| Chetan Hansraj, Yash Tonk |
Highest paid TV actors
Money-wise, they may be miles behind Bollywood stars. But TV's leading men aren't doing all that bad nevertheless. Reena Thapar Kapoor finds out the ten best-paid actors of desi soaps...
1. Ronit Roy
After playing a two-bit role in a Balaji show, Ronit struck gold. The man is currently doing not one but two big shows for the production house namely Kasautii Zindagi Kay and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Apparently, Roy is on Balaji pay roll and makes about Rs 10 lakh a month from these two shows.
2. Varun Badola
VaHe is one of the most talented actors on television and charges a bomb. For Astitva, he takes home a salary of Rs 8 lakh. He has also allegedly made Rs 16 lakh for Nach Baliye. For Aroona Irani's weekly show, Rabba Ishq Na Hove he makes Rs 18 ,000 per episode.
3. Hiten tejwani
Tejwani has just bought himself a swanky 50 lakh apartment. To repay the loan, he is putting in an extra effort and is currently doing three big shows simultaneously. Apart from Kyunki and Kkavyanjali, he is also seen in Kesar. The total amount he pockets in a month is roughly Rs 8 lakh. Rumour has it, that his price will be re-worked after the generation leap in Kyunki.
4. Cezanne Khan
Balaji folks think that he is the most professional actor in their camp. Anurag Basu of Kasautii Zindagi Kay was allegedly drawing Rs 25000 per episode. That adds up to Rs 6.25 lakh monthly. His fee was recently hiked to a Rs 7.5 lakh a month. Cezanne also charges around Rs 3 lakh for his endorsements. From what we hear, he has negotiated on a good sum for Kya Hoga Nimo Ka; the upcoming Balaji show that he has bagged.
5. Apoorva Agnihotri
Armaan Sir of Jassi generally keeps a low profile. Apoorva charges Rs 25000-
30000 per episode of Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. He doesn't go for stage shows and doesn't even endorse any products. But off late, he is seen shaking a leg in Nach Baliye for which he has collected a cheque of a Rs 16 lakh.
6. Rajeev Khandelwal
He is the actor who refused a huge sum of money for Kahiin To Hoga. But, he was so popular that within a few months, his fee was hiked from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. Presently, he gets Rs 5 lakh for Ketan Mehta's Time Bomb
7. Hussain
He might not be the highest paid actor but he is definitely the heartthrob of many. Despite playing the main lead in Kumkum, Hussain doesn't rake in too much moolah. Word has it, that BAG, the production house, pays him a monthly salary of Rs 5 lakh. The man is said to be charging around Rs 2 lakh for ads and shows.
8. Eijaz Khan
A non-entity before Kkavyanjali, Eijaz Khan's life changed after he stepped into the show as Kkavya. From playing second fiddle to playing the title role, he couldn't have asked for more. It's said that he gets Rs 23,000 per episode. Not bad, considering that he was making peanuts earlier.
9. Chetan Hansraj
The original baddie of small screen, he shot to fame after his villain act in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki. He was paid Rs 15 thousand per episode then. Later, he was paid Rs 20 thousand for his brief role in Kaisa Yeh Pyar Hai. Now his market value seems to have soared since he is making around Rs 20 thousand per episode, playing a cop in Kyunki.
10. Yash Tonk
Tonk is best remembered for his role in Kahiin Kissi Roz. He may have not appeared in many shows but he commands a good price. He makes Rs 16000 per episode for Kesar as well as Balaji's Karbon Kopy
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