With every second films making it into the 100 crore club, and actors hiking their film prices, how could appearance fees be far behind?
According to event organisers and experts, most A-list actors were only available for an average of Rs. 13 lac a minute in 2012 to make miscellaneous appearances. And with the way the price rise is going, this figure is only set to double by 2013.
There are various classifications of the kind of appearances the stars make. And if we calculate according to this, then big stars like Shah Rukh and Salman would reportedly be paid roughly 8-10 crore for an hour-long performance.
An organiser told Mumbai Mirror"One is, where actors put in an appearance for a cause – either charity or to give away an award. In such cases, they don’t charge a fee and are usually content with a high level of hospitality.The second category is, where most A-list actors charge an astronomical sum for performing at weddings and other events. The last kind is where they only grace the event and their charges are considerably lower.”
A Dubai organiser added, “Anybody who can draw a crowd gets paid a crore for an hour's performance. That's what the organisers have paid Sunny Leone for performing in Delhi this year. The amount is roughly the same for newcomers who happen to be the flavour of the season. Whereas established actors get paid about Rs 3-4 crore per hour.
You cannot even think of a Kareena or Katrina below Rs 5 crore. For established heroes, the amount ranges from Rs 8-10 crore for an hour long show.”
However, it seems that it is the personal relationship between the star and the event company that determines that price.
But it seems this price rise is the reason that organisers are slowly moving away from engaging big stars for their events. Shailendra Singh, who helms one of the largest event management companies, said, "We don't make much money out of events these days. The spiralling costs of stars are putting a lot of pressure on my margins, especially when they are so visible during film promotions, etc.This is the reason you will find star-studded events in India are at an all-time low.”
With other tax issues and the crazy money involved, me not be seeing too many of our favourite celebrities in public appearances.