Salman tops Forbes India 100 again… and might score a hat-trick in 2018!

By Nichola

on December 23, 2017

For a while it looked dicey… the ‘light’ flickered… but now it emerges that for the second consecutive year, it is Salman Khan at the top of the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list yet again.

Despite the lacklustre performance of his film Tubelight, the 51-year-old superstar earned a mammoth Rs.232.83 crore, via his many brand endorsements. In fact, since we are talking figures here, Salman’s earnings alone make up 8.67 percent of the total Rs.2,683 crore earned by the top 100 celebrities for the year.

Holding on to his position of last year, was Shah Rukh Khan, with Rs.170.5 crore, at No 2. The actor had two film releases this year—Raaes and Jab Harry Met Sejal. Both could not match the earnings of his previous films Happy New Year and Chennai Express.

Coming in at No.3 was Virat Kohli, India’s cricket captain, with Rs.100.72 crore. Earnings-wise it has not been as good year a as the last one for the trio, as their earnings declined by nearly 20 percent – Rs.504.05 crore this year, compared to last year’s total of Rs.626.52 crore.

The only woman in the top 10 ranking is Priyanka Chopra, who came in at No. 7, with Rs.68 crore. The new Forbes methodology no longer considers a combination of a celebrity’s fame and earnings; it is only the earnings that are taken into consideration. This could explain why at 21, there are eight fewer women on the list than last year.

Deepika Padukone has come in at No. 11, with Rs.59.45 crore.
The highest gainer in percentage terms was badminton ace, PV Sindhu with Rs.57.25 crore. Her earnings had increased by 17 times, owing to her growing kitty of brand endorsements post her 2016 Rio Olympics silver medal win.

With Salman’s latest release, Tiger Zinda Hai, expected to gross Rs.200 crore or more, he is pegged as the favourite for the No.1 position in 2018 as well. Life’s good for the Khan, indeed.