What makes Akshay Kumar, highest-paid Indian entertainer, a saleable brand

For an actor who famously started his working life as a waiter and a cook and whose early days in Bollywood were spent leaping mid-air, Akshay Kumar has come a long way. With $40.5 million (Rs 2.78 billion) to his name and ranked 76 in the global Forbes Top Earning 100 Celebrities 2018 list, he is the biggest celebrity brand that India has today, leaving the industry’s three Khans (Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir) who have held sway for years, way behind.

Kumar has moved up four places from 2017 list (80) and ousted Salman Khan from the pedestal. Salman, who ranks 82 on the 2018 Forbes list, is down 11 places from 2017 (71) and Shahrukh Khan who was ranked 65 in the 2017 list is not on it this year.

Kumar made his debut in 1991, as an ‘action’ star in movies that looked for athletic prowess over acting chops. Soon however he donned a new mask, that of a comedy star and then recently, he has changed his colours yet again. Today Kumar is known for the nationalistic-patriotic roles he does, a persona he often carries into his off-screen engagements with brands.

Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar among world's 100 highest-paid in showbiz: Forbes

Bollywood actors Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan are among the world's 100 highest paid Actor, according to a Forbes list topped by American boxer Floyd Mayweather.

Akshay is ranked 76th on the Forbes list of the World's Highest Paid Celebrities 2018 while Salman is on the 82nd spot.

Forbes said the world's 100 top-earning entertainers pulled in a combined $6.3 billion pretax over the past 12 months, up 22 per cent from last year and 11 superstars crossed the $100 million thresholds, more than double the number from the last two years combined.

Akshay, 50, had earnings of $40.5 million. Forbes said "one of Bollywood's leading men has transitioned to socially-conscious roles," citing his films such as "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" that focussed on government campaigns to improve sanitation, and "Padman", about a man hoping to provide inexpensive sanitary pads to rural communities. He also mints millions from profits and endorsing about 20 brands.

PadMan Challenge a wasteful gimmick, doesn't do justice to an honest biopic

The marketing team of Padman have managed to turn the #PadmanChallenge into a social media campaign. The likes of Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar are seen posing with sanitary napkins in their hand on Instagram to erase the stigma around menstruation. However, this author debates how Bollywood unfortunately, even when trying to be on the right side of things, doesn’t quite get it entirely right.

Let’s get one thing straight, Arunchalam Murganantham is a hero. In an area of the world where educated men still begin to curl their shoulders awkwardly at the mere mention of menstruation, for a man from small-town India to approach the topic with such candour, sincerity and innovation is incredible and at the time he chose to do so - was desperately necessary. When asked, "What did you use before sanitary pads?" many of the women from the pre-Arunachalam era's answers were shocking for just how basic, uncomfortable and mainly useless they were. "Leaves." "A rag." "Nothing." "Paper napkins." "Newspaper." “Sand.”

2016: Demonetisation, piracy disappoint Bollywood box office result

Breaking News - Only eight out of the approximately 230 Hindi films released in 2016 surpassed the glorified Rs 100 crore ($14.5 million) club in India, giving the industry only an average tally of around Rs 2,700 crore, according to industry insiders.

This, in a year when the central government's demonetisation move in early November disturbed the projected earnings for some movies, when piracy ate into some films' business and when some producers got into a tussle with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Barring Shah Rukh Khan, whose "Fan" did not prove to be like most of the superstar's box office wonders, Bollywood other A-listers, including Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar, had a bright year with their films raking in the moolah and making it to the Rs 100 crore club.

There is no centralised agency to record Bollywood's box office numbers. But going by film trade experts and industry sources, Salman registered good returns with "Sultan", Akshay won the audiences' hearts with "Airlift", "Housefull 3" and "Rustom", and Aamir's "Dangal" Christmas release added to the festive season's celebratory mood.(Read More)