By Yash Bharati, Published 25 May 2020
Shah Rukh Khan is arguably one of the most successful Bollywood actors of all time. Not only has he excelled in acting but the Badshah of Bollywood, as he is popularly known, has also found success in his other businesses. Apart from winning multiple acting awards and attaining worldwide fame, Khan also has an honorary doctorate in Philanthropy from The University of Law, London. His current contributions towards the Covid-19 relief work attest to why Khan holds the doctorate. With a remarkably astute business mind, here’s a list of where he uses that acumen.
Aside from films, these 7 sources contribute to Shah Rukh Khan’s annual income
1. Box Office earnings
Although there isn’t much data on which movies SRK has had a profit share in – apart from the ones under Red Chillies Entertainment – major dailies have reported that the actor does take home profits from box office earnings. A report in LiveMint stated, “Today, most of the top male stars, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar, command a share – ranging from 50 to 80 per cent – in the profits of a film, besides a flat upfront fee.”
2. TV Shows
It’s no news that Shah Rukh Khan started his acting career with daily soaps like Fauji and Circus – which have made their way back to doordarshan during quarantine. In the more recent past, SRK was seen on the so-called small screen as the host of one of the most popular TV shows, Kaun Banega Crorepati – Season 3, and Kya Aap Panchvi Pass se Tez Hai? and Zor ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout. According to a report in the Times of India, in 2011, Khan charged Rs 2.5 crore per episode for Zor ka Jhatka: Total Wipeout.
3. Wedding performances
Weddings have always been a big deal in India and are popularly known as The Big Fat Indian Wedding across the globe. The grandeur of these opulent wedding parties is only accelerated by the presence of Bollywood celebrities – Shah Rukh Khan being the most popular one. King Khan, reportedly, charges anywhere from Rs 4 to 8 crore for an appearance or a performance at the wedding.
4. Red Chillies Entertainment
After the dissolution of Shah Rukh Khan’s production house, Dreamz Unlimited, also co-owned by Juhi Chawla and Aziz Mirza, Red Chillies Entertainment was launched in 2002 along with wife Gauri Khan. Today, Red Chillies Entertainment is quite a profitable source of income for SRK. According to The Economic Times, the production house is equipped with a full fledged VFX studio and has an annual turnover of about Rs 500 crore.
5. KidZania
Shah Rukh Khan has been seen at a number of promotional and PR events for KidZania, but that isn’t because he endorses the brand. The actor actually owns 26 per cent of ImagiNation Edutainment India Pvt Ltd, which runs the franchise’s (KidZania) India operations. Though the exact amount invested by SRK has not been disclosed, KidZania India’s Director and CEO Sanjeev Kumar revealed to Business Standard that their project in Mumbai costs around Rs 100 crore.
6. Kolkata Knight Riders
It is believed that a business venture is profitable for both the owner and the franchise, when there is an investment from another company rather than an individual. Which is probably the reason why Shah Rukh Khan does not have any personal stake in Kolkata Knight Riders. In fact, his production house Red Chillies Entertainment owns a 55 per cent stake in the team. Which means, it is indirectly owned by SRK, himself. According to a report in Financial Express, sponsors have to cough up anywhere between Rs 10 to 12 crore for their logo to be carried on the back of the KKR jersey and between Rs 8 to 22 crore for the front.
7. Endorsements
Despite slipping on the list of celebrities who earn the highest through endorsements, SRK draws a hefty paycheck, nonetheless. He has been the face of Pepsi, Whirlpool, Nokia, Hyundai, Tag Heuer, Dish TV, Big Basket and Byjus among others for many years now. According to a report in Business Insider, SRK charges around Rs 3.5 to 4 crore per day for an ad shoot. ( GQ India )
