Superstars of Bollywood

Custom Search Bollywood is the world's most prolific film industry. Bollywood is no longger the haphazard, regional business it used to be. As part of a multi-billion-dollar international industry, Bollywood's stars now make their money and fame not only from acting, but also from brand endorsements, production and a whole host of other business ventures. Many of the male superstars made their debut in the early 1990s and the three 'Khans' - Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan - are still at the top of the game. They remain at tha Top Five list of Bollywood heroes. There are competition from newer hunks like Abhisek Bachan and John Abraham. But the new hero who seems to manage to crack the Top Five list is Hrithik Roshan. He burst into Bollywood scene in 200 with Kaho Na... Pyaar Hai. Leading female superstars, on the other hand, seem to have much shorter shelf life. The Top Five of Bollywood Queens comprise predominantly new beautiful actress. Screen goddesses like Rani Mukherjee and Preity Zinta have been supplanted by the next big sensation. However Aishwarya Rai managed to be in the Top Five. She has been acting since 1997. Leading Male Superstar No. 1: Akshay Kumar, 42 He the current King of Bollywood. His longevity and success in Bollywood cinema basically boils down to his determination. Throughout his career, Akshay has played the action hero, the villain, and supporting roles. He seems to have found his forte in comedy. With back-to-back hits over the past several years such as Namastey London, Heyy Babyy, Bhool Bhulaiyya and Singh is Kinng. Akshay reportedly earns up to 400 million rupees per film. No. 2: Aamir Khan, 44 Aamir is the consummate actor, focusing on meaty roles rather than simply churning out films. He usually does only one film a year, and get involve not only with his character, but also the film's direction and production as well. Aamir's most recent films, Taare Zameen (in which he also directed) and Ghajini, were super hit, further cementing his reputation as a quality actor who is also capable of drawing audiences. No. 3: Shah Rukh Khan, 44 King Khan is best known for his roles in hits films like Om Shanti Om. He is also an astute businessman who capitalises on his name. His brand of endorsement apparently net him a cool 1.5 billion rupees a year. He has a production company, Red Chillies Entertainment, and a criket team, the Kolkata Knight Riders. His favourite heroin is Kajol. No. 4: Hrithik Roshan, 35 Hrithik's combination of great acting, stunning good looks and fabulous physique has made him one of the most in-demand stars in Bollywood. However, he is extremely selective with his roles. He also earns about one billion rupees annually from his brand endorsements which include Sony Ericsson, Acer and Coca-cola. No. 5: Salman Khan, 44 The fomer bad boy of Bollywood still commands a huge following. This is apparent from his sold-out stage performances. Salman charges around 50 million rupees for his movies. His fee for hosting the tv game show Dus Ka Dum (Power of 10) reported around 890 million rupees for the entire series. Leading Female Superstars No. 1: Kareena Kapoor, 29 No. 2: Aishwarya Rai, 36 No. 3: Katrina Kaif, 25 No. 4: Deepika Padukone, 23 No. 5: Priyanka Chopra, 27