Celebrities are known for their lavish life and exotic style. But the one thing that fascinates us the most is the big paycheck they receive. Bollywood celebrities are usually offered a whooping fee to feature in a movie. But in the past, there have been instances, where the Bollywood actors refused to take any fee for starring in a movie. They portrayed the role in the respect of the character and the joy they saw in a particular role. Here we bring you a list of top Bollywood actors who featured in certain movies for free or accepted only a token amount as payment:
1. Shahrukh Khan (Hey Ram): Today Shahrukh Khan is the third richest actor in the world, with unbelievable wealth. He is not just the king of Bollywood but is also a king by heart. For her extended cameo in Hey Ram, he still hasn’t taken any fee. Besides Hey Ram, he hasn’t charged anything for his performance in Krazzy 4, Bhoothnath returns.
2. Sonam Kapoor (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag): The mettle of Sonam Kapoor is still standing high in the industry after his performance in Neerja and Aisha. But you will be surprised to know that, Sonam Kapoor took a paycheck of Rs 11 for his role of Shagun in Om Prakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
3. Farhan Akhtar (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag): Not just Sonam but also Farhan Akhtar who played the role of Flying Sikh in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag accepted only Rs 1 as payment for his performance. He revealed that he played the role of Milkha Singh in his respect and honor.
4. Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Manto): In an interview, Nandita Das, the director of Manto, revealed that she offered the role of Manto to Rishi Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, and Javed Akhtar, but none of them accepted it. And ultimately, Nawazuddin Siddiqui accepted to play Manto. He not just played the role but also charged just Rs 1 for his performance.
5. Shahid Kapoor (Haider): Based on Shakespear’s Hamlet, Haider is one of the most underrated cult classics of Bollywood. The lead star of the movie Shahid Kapoor and Director Vishal Bhardwaj, both chose to let go of their fee so that the movie could do good at the box office.
6. Amitabh Bachchan (Black): Megastar and the OG of Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan always wanted a space in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movie and when he finally got a role in Black. He got so overwhelmed that he refused to take home any profit from the movie.
7. Salman Khan (Prem Ratan Dhan Payo): Salman Khan as we all know is known for his generous attitude towards people. This actor did not charge a single penny for his cameo in Son Of Sardar. Besides that, the actor also waived off his fee for Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, only because he wanted the movie to do good at the box office.
8. Meena Kumari (Pakeezah): Meena Kumari, one of the initial female superstars of the industry, accepted a paycheck of Rs 1, for her role in Kamal Amrohi-classic Pakeezah. Some say that she knew this was her last movie and this was the reason she wanted to do it free. But we all know she gave a million-dollar performance in the movie.
9. Om Puri (Ghasiram Kotwal): Made on a budget of Rs 1.5 lakhs, the Marathi film was written off at the time of its release. Based on a Marathi play of the same name by Vijay Tendulkar, the film was selected to be screened at the Berlin Film Festival in 1978. Ghasiram Kotwal has seen a revival of critical interest in recent years.
10. Deepika Padukone (Om Shanti Om): Fortunate to make her cinematic debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika made her breakthrough in Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om way back in 2007. Ironically, the highest earning Bollywood actress today did the role for free back then.
