Actor Kartik Aaryan featured on the latest episode of Aap Ki Adalat, where he talked about the fees he received during the initial days of his career and how he dubs himself as a ‘shehzada’ of Bollywood. The actor, who is one of the highest-paid stars in Bollywood, had earned Rs 1.25 lakh for his first film Pyaar Ka Punchnama. After witnessing several successes and becoming one of the most bankable stars in the industry, he talked about earning Rs 20 crore for a film that he worked on during the pandemic.
Earlier, it was reported that Kartik Aaryan was paid Rs 20 crore for only 10 days of work in filmmaker Ram Madhvani’s Dhamaka, which was released in 2021. Kartik had not confirmed or denied the news. Recently, on the episode of Aap Ki Adalat, he spoke about the fees and also why film producers pay him the hefty amount they do.
Journalist told Kartik Aaryan that he had become ‘so obsessed’ with himself that after earning ‘sava lakh ( ₹1.25 lakh)’ in his first film (Pyaar Ka Punchnama), he was now asking for Rs 20 crore. Kartik answered, “Woh to dus din ke hain (This was for 10 days).” When he tried to play it off as a joke, the host corrected him, and said in Hindi, “No, you are not joking. For the film you shot during Covid-19 pandemic in 10 days, you took ₹20 crore.” Kartik then said, “Sir yeh kiya tha corona ke time pe, par kya main aise discuss kar sakta hoon apni fees, mujhe nahi pata. Par haan woh ek film (Dhamaka) aise bani aur dus din ka shoot tha uska. Woh mera remuneration tha aur main dus din mein kya, bees din mein paise double kar deta hoon apne producers ke, toh banta hai (Yes, during the Covid-19 pandemic I had shot for the film for 10 days and that was my remuneration. I make my producers earn double the money in 20 days, so I think I deserve what I am paid).”
Kartik was also told that he had started behaving like ‘hero no 1’ after the success of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 in 2022, a film which crossed over Rs 250 crore at the box office. He answered, “I have always seen myself as no. 1, slowly people are also getting to know that and are seeing me like that. But the audience’s love is what matters the most to me. I am desperate for their love and only for that am I obsessed with myself and want to give hit films… there’s only one Shehzada (prince) in the film industry.”
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