Actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani recently returned to television as her fan-favourite Tulsi Virani with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, and reports suggest she’s charging ₹14 lakh per episode, making her the highest-paid actor on Indian television. Now, in an interview, Smriti confirmed the news of being the highest-paid actor on the small screen, though she didn’t disclose the exact amount.
Smriti on her pay
It is said that her contemporaries, such as Anupamaa’s Rupali Ganguly take home approx ₹3 lakh per episode, and Hina Khan get up to ₹2 lakh.
During an interview with CNN-News18, Smriti was asked about being the highest-paid actor on Indian television, and she confirmed the news without hesitation.
When asked about her journey from a struggling newcomer who landed the role of Tulsi in 2000 to becoming television’s top earner, she said, “Yes, I see the glee on your face… You also set that benchmark as a professional to say that if you deliver on history on numbers and revenue, why not? Because not everybody who’s watching us knows we get to negotiate our contracts as employees.”
“I’m a part of a union, so the first thing I do is actually have my union number registered. We all are part of a larger organisation and flow of work. For one person to stand up and say listen, not only pay parity, I beat the boys and the girls and how much I make that is a lot of hard work,” she added.
The actor admitted that she “had the capacity of making stars out of others who are with me” and emphasised that such influence comes with responsibility.
More about Smriti and Kyunki
Former union minister Smriti recently made a major comeback to TV acting with a redux of the series Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. The TV show made her a household name as ‘Tulsi Virani’.
The show, which first aired in 2000, revolved around Tulsi Virani (played by Smriti Irani), the ideal daughter-in-law of the wealthy Virani family, and chronicled her journey through family conflicts, traditions, moral dilemmas, and generational changes. It ran for eight years, making its cast household names. The reboot stars both Smriti and Amar Upadhyay in the lead, along with Hiten Tejwani, Gauri Pradhan, Rohit Suchanti, Shagun Sharma, Aman Gandhi, Tanisha Mehta, Ankit Bhatia and Prachi Singh in key roles. The show is available to watch on JioCinema and StarPlus.
