10 richest Bollywood actresses of 2021

7 min read

While pay disparity in Bollywood is still an ongoing battle, a number of actresses have landed whopping pay cheques for their big-budget films. Yet for many Indian actresses, their most lucrative financial rewards come from endorsement deals, business ventures and smart investments.

Here’s a look at 10 of the richest Bollywood actresses below, according to the number crunchers at Celebrity Net Worth and across the internet.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – US$100 million

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is one of Bollywood’s most famous and highest-paid actresses. Photo: @aishwaryaraibachchan_arb/Instagram
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is one of Bollywood’s most famous and highest-paid actresses. Photo: @aishwaryaraibachchan_arb/Instagram

Recently, former Miss World Aishwarya Rai’s walk down the runway for the L’Oréal Paris Womenswear Spring/Summer 2022 show at Paris Fashion Week made headlines. The 47-year-old actress, who has amassed a US$100 million net worth, has been a L’Oréal global brand ambassador for over a decade now and her contract is among her most lucrative deals.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was a former Miss World winner. Photo: @aishwaryaraibachchan_arb/Instagram
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was a former Miss World winner. Photo: @aishwaryaraibachchan_arb/Instagram

As one of India’s most famous faces, Rai has also endorsed a throng of brands in her career. From Lux, Coca-Cola and Longines, to Pepsi and Fuji Films. The Devdas star has also invested around US$650,000 in a nutrition-based health care company, reports Economic Times India.

Priyanka Chopra-Jonas – US$70 million

Priyanka Chopra-Jones was recently announced as Bulgari’s Global Ambassador. Photo: @priyankachopra/Instagram
Priyanka Chopra-Jones was recently announced as Bulgari’s Global Ambassador. Photo: @priyankachopra/Instagram

It should come as no surprise that global superstar Priyanka Chopra-Jonas ranks second on this list. According to Celebrity Net Worth, The 39-year-old star enjoys a reported US$70 million fortune with a US$10 million annual income of late. While her career is blossoming in Hollywood, the Indian star also earned fat pay cheques from brands like Crocs and Bon V!V Spiked Seltzer. Perhaps more fittingly, she was recently appointed a global ambassador for Bulgari.

Priyanka Chopra-Jones has found enormous success in both Bollywood and Hollywood. Photo: @priyankachopra/Instagram
Priyanka Chopra-Jones has found enormous success in both Bollywood and Hollywood. Photo: @priyankachopra/Instagram

Chopra is also an active film and Broadway musical producer with her husband Nick Jonas, and has also invested in tech companies like Bumble. If that’s not enough, she is also the owner of a new haircare brand called Anomaly and a swanky Indian restaurant called Sona in New York.

Kareena Kapoor – US$60 million

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor has an estimated net worth of US$60 million. Photo: @kareenakapoorkhan/Instagram
Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor has an estimated net worth of US$60 million. Photo: @kareenakapoorkhan/Instagram

The 41-year-old actress has ruled Bollywood for over two decades now and has an estimated net worth of US$60 million, according to IBTimes India. While the longevity of her film career is impressive on its own, Kapoor’s bevy of endorsement deals is unparalleled.

So popular that in fact, she is reportedly endorsing more than 15 brands now. Elsewhere, the 3 Idiots star shelled out big bucks on multiple real estates all over Bandra, Mumbai, as reported by the same publication. Kapoor will be also be wearing the producer hat for Hansal Mehta’s new thriller next.

Anushka Sharma – US$47 million

Anushka Sharma recently became a mother. Photo: @anushkasharma/Instagram
Anushka Sharma recently became a mother. Photo: @anushkasharma/Instagram

According to DNA India, actress and film producer Anushka Sharma has an estimated net worth of US$46 million. The publication also said that the PK actress charged around 15 crores rupees (US$2 million) per film.

Deepika Padukone – US$40 million

Deepika Padukone has nabbed several big brand endorsements. Photo: @deepikapadukone/Instagram
Deepika Padukone has nabbed several big brand endorsements. Photo: @deepikapadukone/Instagram

Earlier this year, Padukone raised a few eyebrows after she opted out of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming project Baiju Bawra due to salary negotiations. The 35-year-old actress, who is an advocate for equal pay, reportedly charged US$2.7 million for her upcoming film with Baahubali actor, Prabhas, and Amitabh Bachchan, according to FilmFare.

The Padmaavat star has also endorsed big brand like Coca-Cola, Nike, L’Oréal Paris, Chopard and Tissot. Recently, she announced her own lifestyle brand that’s expected to roll out in 2022. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Padukone has an estimated net worth of around US$40 million.

Madhuri Dixit Nene – US$35 million

Madhuri Dixit was one of the highest paid actresses in the 90s. Photo: @madhuridixitnene/Instagram
Madhuri Dixit was one of the highest paid actresses in the 90s. Photo: @madhuridixitnene/Instagram

As one of the 90s’ top-paid actress, 54-year-old Dixit still commands big projects and TV gigs, and enjoys an estimated net worth of US$35 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. She resumed working in Bollywood after her sabbatical in 2007 and never looked back. She has appeared in dozens of films since and scored big with the adventure comedy Total Dhamaal (2019).

Dixit, who is known for her graceful dancing skills, has been a judge on reality dancing competitions like Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, So You Think You Can Dance (India) and Dance Deewane. But, let’s not forget that her pay cheques also come from endorsing many F&B products that include Nutrela, Dabur Chyawanprash and Country Delight.

Katrina Kaif – US$30 million
Katrina Kaif is among the highest paid actresses in Bollywood. Photo: @katrinakaif/Instagram
Katrina Kaif is among the highest paid actresses in Bollywood. Photo: @katrinakaif/Instagram

Touted as Bollywood’s hardest-working actress, Kaif has a reported net worth of US$30 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This is not surprising as the 35-year-old actress has starred in numerous box-office hit films in the last five years: Tiger Zinda Hai (2012), Zero (2018) and Bharat (2019).

As reported by GQ India, Kaif has endorsed several big brands such as Reebok, Tropicana, Lenskart, Metro Shoes and Oppo, earning some US$3 million a year. Seizing on her popularity, Kaif launched a make-up brand called Kay Beauty.

Shilpa Shetty – US$18 million

Silpa Shetty turned her stardom to kick-start a successful fitness app. Photo: @theshilpashetty/Instagram
Silpa Shetty turned her stardom to kick-start a successful fitness app. Photo: @theshilpashetty/Instagram

Amid the controversy surrounding her husband, Shetty has always been business-savvy, with a reported net worth of US$18 million, according to CA Knowledge. While she hasn’t done many films after winning the UK’s Celebrity Big Brother, she used her stardom to kick-start a successful fitness app called the Simple Soulful App, high-end restaurants and even a clothing line.

She followed in Madhuri Dixit’s footsteps by becoming the judge for dancing competitions like Zara Nachke Dikha, Nach Baliye and Super Dancer. According to Times of India, Shetty earned between 10 and 14 crore rupees (between US$1.3 million and US$1.8 million) for her appearance on Super Dancer.

Kajol – US$16 million
Kajol appeared in a Whirlpool endorsement alongside her husband Ajay Ajay Devgn. Photo: @kajol/Instagram
Kajol appeared in a Whirlpool endorsement alongside her husband Ajay Ajay Devgn. Photo: @kajol/Instagram

On the work front, Kajol’s stardom still lands her successful films like Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020) and Netflix’s Tribhanga (2021). Meanwhile, the actress, who has an estimated net worth of US$16 million, also owns a luxurious building in Mumbai named Shiv Shakti, as reported by Republic World.

She also earned fat pay cheques through her endorsements for brands like Charmis, Joyalukkas Jewellery and Whirlpool India, in which she appeared alongside her husband Ajay Devgn.

Bipasha Basu – US$15 million

Bipasha Basu is a model-turned-actress. Photo: @bipashabasu/Instagram
Bipasha Basu is a model-turned-actress. Photo: @bipashabasu/Instagram

Model-turned-actress Basu has an estimated net worth of US$15 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. She easily dominated the early 2000s with her svelte figure and fashionable clothing.

 Basu has three successful fitness DVDs under her belt and co-owns a lifestyle brand called The Label Life with fellow celebrities Sussanne Khan and Malaika Arora that sells shoes, clothing and accessories.

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