0 Kareena's Rs 5-crore fizzy deal

Kareena Kapoor has apparently charged a record amount for her latest endorsement deal with a beverage brand

If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That seems to be Bebo’s recent mantra. The actress has just signed on a whopping deal with a lemonade brand, giving archrival Katrina Kaif (who endorses a mango drink) a run for her money.

We learnt that Bebo, who was the face of another popular cola company, lost no time after her current contract expired and grabbed another endorsement deal from a rival brand for apparently a whopping Rs 5 crore.

Queen of endorsements

Says a source, “Kareena now has 16 brands in her kitty including the latest one, easily making her the most sought-after face in the ad space amongst the actresses. 2011 was the year of big money for Kareena, thanks to her back-to-back hits.”

Ever since she signed onto to Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine, the actress’s fat pay cheques have been grabbing headlines. She was apparently paid almost Rs 8 crore for the film, the highest for any actress in the Indian film space ever.

Clearly that has reflected on her choice of brands and the money she is charging for them as well. Adds the source, “Though Bebo has a lot of film commitments, she makes sure she gives enough time to her brands and hence charges as much.”

Kareena was also spotted shooting for her very first commercial with the brand a few days ago at Brabourne studio in Mumbai. Adds the source, “Both Katrina and Asin who endorse soft drinks have had ads that have gained a lot of popularity.

So Kareena and her team were insistent that the commercial must be catchy and entertaining.” All Kareena had to say is — “I am not allowed to talk money!”

Rate card per endorsement (approx)

Katrina Kaif
Rs 4-4.5 crore

Priyanka Chopra
Rs 3-3.5 crore

Deepika Padukone
Rs 2-3 crore

Madhuri Dixit
Rs 1-2 crore

Vidya Balan
Rs 1-1.5 crore

Anushka Sharma
Rs 80 lakh

Credit: Mid-Day.com

0 Madhuri Dixit gets pricey

She's the one and only Dhak Dhak girl India can boast of, and those moves now come with a big price tag. Madhuri Dixit is apparently quoting a whopping amount for her next Bollywood film.

Says a source, "She has been the most successful actress of her generation and clearly she brings in a brand value no one else does.

So clearly that will reflect on the kind of money she charges. Ever since she has moved back to India, she has been approached by a lot of people to star in their films, but she is taking it easy."

Madhuri apparently has been quoting between Rs 1 and 3 crore for her endorsement deals and between Rs 4 and 5 crore for her films.

Competing with the A-listers

Adds the source, "This is the kind of money leading ladies like Kareena, Katrina and even Vidya are charging. So Madhuri clearly wants to let people know that she is no less than any of them and signing her on will be expensive."

Says a leading producer on the condition of anonymity, "For Madhuri, even if the budget for my film hits the roof, it's a chance I would take. But yes, you need to be practical too."

Too high a price?

This probably might be one of the reasons why she has refused plum projects like Anil Kapoor's remake of Freaky Friday and the remake of Satte Pe Satta that ultimately went to Karisma Kapoor. "Her last solo project was Aaja Nach Le that tanked at the box office.

She is however looking at women-oriented roles and for many producers, a film like that is a huge monetary risk. Only if all these factors come together, there will be a chance that she takes something on officially."

For now, the only people who seem to be able to afford her are beauty and food brands as she has signed on several endorsement deals over the past few months. For now, we hear she might play the lead in Vishal Bharadwaj's Dedh Ishqiya. However, that news remains unconfirmed.

On the home front

Madhuri was last quoted saying that Sriram Nene has been approached by leading city hospitals to come on board. However, we hear that Dr Nene is taking it easy and is yet to take a final decision.

What A-listers charge
Kareena Kapoor - Rs 6 - 7 crores
Katrina Kaif - Rs 4 - 5 crores
Priyanka Chopra - Rs 3 - 4 crores
Vidya Balan - Rs 3 - 4 crores
Deepika Padukone - Rs 2.5 - 3.5 crores
* all figures in approximation

Credit: Mid-Day.com