Salman Khan has topped the Forbes list of highest paid celebrities for the third consecutive year. Deepika Padukone, at the fourth position, has become the first woman to break into the top ten list.
Compiled by Forbes magazine by considering the period between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018, the cumulative earnings of the celebrities this year stands at Rs 3140.25 crore – a 17% rise from last year’s Rs 2683 crore. Salman Khan emerges on top with an annual earning of Rs 253 crore, constituting more than 8% of the cumulative figure. Cricketer Virat Kohli stands second with an earning of Rs 228 crore.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar are the only other non-film celebrities to feature in the top 10 list. Having retired from all forms of cricket in 2013, Sachin Tendulkar has managed to rake in 80 crore from brand endorsements. Despite not having had a great time at the pitch, Dhoni has managed to remain a favourite with the brands. His earnings have been calculated as Rs 101 crore, and he occupies the fifth position on the list.
Shah Rukh Khan who didn’t have a single release during the period, saw his rank drop to 13. The actor had occupied the second spot last year, and this year his earnings have reduce by 33%. Priyanka Chopra’s ranking too has drop from seventh position last year to 49th this year.
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Though Deepika Padukone has managed to break into the top ten, the total number of women celebrities on the list has declined from 21 last year to 18 this year. Alia Bhatt, at the 12th position, is the next woman celebrity after Padukone.
Meanwhile, South Indian movie stars occupy 15 slots on the list. Seven each from Tamil and Telugu, and one star from Malayalam film industry are part of this group. Rajinikanth, with an earning of Rs 50 crore is the highest earning South Indian celebrity, at the 14th position.
From music industry, AR Rahman occupies the 11th position, with an estimated earning of more than 66 crores.