Aren’t we all fascinated by the luxurious lives of Bollywood celebrities? But we often overlook the years of sweat and blood they put in to make it this big in the industry. And much like all of us aam aadmis, they also start with humble beginnings. You’d be surprised to know what their first salaries were! So without further ado, let’s have a look:
Shah Rukh Khan
If there is a perfect example of rags-to-riches story, it has to be SRK’s life. The actor had no backing in the industry but rules millions of hearts today! Besides his acting career, he also runs a successful production company, Red Chillies Entertainment. But did you know that his first paid job was as an usher at a Pankaj Udaas concert? Well, he got Rs 50 for the job!
Akshay Kumar
The khiladi of B-town has given many box-office hits. But before making his acting debut, Akshay used to work as a chef at a food stall in Bangkok. He earned Rs 1500 per month. In a media interview once, Akshay referred the time as ‘one of the toughest phases of his life!’
Aamir Khan
Pick any movie—Dangal, Taare Zameen Par, 3 Idiots, or PK, Aamir Khan is known for his inspiring roles. The actor has been given the tag of ‘Mr. Perfectionist’, and rightly so. But his journey wasn’t that easy. Before getting a break in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, he worked as an assistant director to Nasir Hussain and got a salary of Rs 1000 per month.
Priyanka Chopra
PC has put our country on a Global map, making us proud and how! Back in 2000, she received her first paycheck of Rs 5000 from a Filmfare assignment. However, the actress took baby steps to climb to the top and reportedly, she now charges around 14 Crores for a single film.
Randeep Hooda
There’s hardly any girl who doesn’t have a crush on Randeep Hooda! Not just his looks, we love his phenomenal acting skills too. But the actor’s first job was at a Chinese restaurant in Australia and he earned $8 per hour for the same.
Rohit Shetty
The king of action films, who now destroys cars and buildings in his movies, started his Bollywood journey at the age of 17 as an assistant director to director Kuku Kohli. And guess what? He was paid a mere Rs 35 per day for the job. After working there for a few years, Shetty started his own production company and didn’t look back. Today, his net worth is $38 Million.
Manoj Bajpayee
Manoj Bajpayee, who charged Rs 10 Crores for each season of The Family Man started his career as Barry John’s assistant in directing plays. He worked there for seven years and used to make Rs 1200 per month. He faced his fair share of rejections until finally getting a shot at Gangs Of Wasseypur.
Kalki Koelchin
Before getting famous as DevD’s Leni or YJHD’s Aditi, Kalki saw some difficult times too. While studying drama in London, she used to work as a waitress. Kalki got 40 pounds as her first salary, and she used most of it to pay her rent!
Amitabh Bachchan
Big B dominated Indian cinema in the 70s and then there was no looking back for him. The actor once revealed in KBC that before his first break in acting, he used to work for a shipping firm in Kolkata. And his monthly salary was Rs 500! Well, he now mints crores for his single film and reportedly, has a net worth of $455 Million.
So if you think it’s over for you, your daily dose of inspiration is right here!
Feature Image: Instagram
