These are Bollywood’s 16 highest paid actors in 2015

As 2015 comes to an end, we take a look at the highest paid actors in Bollywood and what makes them worth the moolah.

The new generation is slowly becoming a tough competition for the Khans.

With 2015 ­coming to an end, the only word that can best describe the year gone by, in terms of box office business, is ‘unpredictable’. While some of the most anticipated, big-budget films haven’t managed to live up to expectations, there have been ­surprises in terms of small, ­content driven films faring very well at the box-office.

The three Khans — Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir — ­continue to reign over the box-office figures, as their films have made the maximum monies this year. Badlapur was declared as the first hit of 2015 and did ­wonders for actor Varun Dhawan’s career as well. Actor Ayushmaan Khurrana’s career got a new lease of life with Dum Laga Ke Haisha, which was followed by actor Anushka Sharma’s debut production NH10 that turned out to be a sleeper hit. The year also saw its first 100 crore film in Tanu Weds Manu Returns. Actor Salman Khan ruled the box-office with two big ticket releases and so did actor Shah Rukh Khan with his year-end release. Actor Aamir Khan managed to make an impact despite not having any release at all. Read on to know which actors made the ­maximum impact and who earned what kind of moolah.

Ranbir Kapoor

Ranbir Kapoor finally got a hit film with Tamasha. (YouTube)

After the disastrous Roy, all eyes were on Ranbir Kapoor to pack a punch with Bombay Velvet, but it also flopped. Ranbir’s popularity remained intact, as speculations about his love life with Katrina Kaif continued. He ended the year with Tamasha, in which his acting was praised. He’s ranked 30th on the Forbes list with Rs 99 crore. 
Rs 20-25 cr per film

Deepika Padukone

It was Deepika’s year all the way. (YouTube)

Deepika Padukone’s golden phase ­continues with the audience ­lapping up her latest release, Bajirao Mastani. She reunited with ex-flame Ranbir Kapoor in Tamasha that also garnered ­positive reviews. Piku, with Amitabh Bachchan, was, however, the ­winner this year for Deepika, making her one of the top paid female stars 
Rs 8 cr per film

Ranveer Singh

Ranveer Singh was praised for his performance in Bajirao Mastani. (YouTube)

Ranveer Singh played two ­diametrically different characters in 2015. In Dil Dhadakne Do, he played a young, urban guy while in Bajirao Mastani, he ­transformed into a Maratha ­warrior, both ­physically and mentally. His off screen camaraderie with Deepika Padukone has also made him popular.
Rs 10 cr per film

Varun Dhawan

Badlapur presented Varun as a thinking actor. (YouTube)

The actor took everyone by surprise with a dark and different version of himself in Badlapur this year. The serious image got him great feedback. This was followed by ABCD 2 and Dilwale — both commercially viable films. After Akshay, he is the second actor with the most hits. 
Rs 3-5 cr per film

Shah Rukh Khan

He’ll remain King Khan for some more years. (YouTube)

Describing Shah Rukh Khan as “India’s Leonardo DiCaprio”, Forbes ranked him 18th on the list with earnings of approx Rs 1,720 crore. The actor has been in the news for his recent release Dilwale, along with his renewed friendship with Salman Khan. Like Aamir, he was also condemned for his statement on intolerance in India. 
Rs 40-45 cr per film

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Her comeback didn’t do well at the box office. (YouTube)

The fact that former beauty queen Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was ­making her comeback to films with Jazbaa was enough to send fans into a tizzy. Though the ­thriller did not do ­exceptionally well at the box-office, Aishwarya still remains one of the most popular faces in 2015 and her fans are waiting to see her in Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. 
Rs 5-7 cr per film

Salman Khan

Salman is the reigning king of Bollywood. (YouTube)

With two hit films to his credit, Salman Khan ruled the box-office this year. If Bajrangi Bhaijaan saw him play the good samaritan, he returned to playing Prem within more ­comfortable territory with Sooraj Barjatya’s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. The actor reportedly made approx Rs 2,217 crore as per The Forbes’s ranking of the ‘World’s Highest-Paid Actors’.
Rs 40-50 cr per film

Kangana Ranaut

Tanu Weds Manu Returns was totally dependent on Kangana. (YouTube)

After Tanu Weds Manu Returns, there were reports that Kangana Ranaut has become the highest paid female actor in Bollywood. Reportedly, she got a staggering Rs 11 crore as remuneration for one of her upcoming films. Though her last release Katti Batti flopped, she continues to rule the box office. 
Rs 10-12 cr per film

Ajay Devgn

Drishyam was a copy of a Malayalam film. (YouTube)

Ajay Devgn has had just one release this year in Drishyam, but with just that one film, he ­managed to rake in the moolah. The actor, who is known for doing a lot of regional film remakes, struck gold with Drishyam, which was also the remake of a 2013 Malayalam film. The film earned him a lot of box-office acclaim. 
Rs 35-40 cr per film

Kareena Kapoor Khan

Kareena is now looking forward to the release of Udta Punjab. (YouTube)

Like her husband Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, too, had just one release in 2015, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, opposite Salman Khan. The film fared very well at the box-office, making her one of the most sought after names. She has finished shooting for Udta Punjab, which also stars ex-flame Shahid Kapoor, and there’s also Ki and Ka with Arjun Kapoor.
Rs 8 cr per film

Anushka Sharma

Anushka was also the producer of NH10. (YouTube)

Actor Anushka Sharma ended 2014 with the blockbuster PK and followed it up with the hard-­hitting NH-10 in March 2015. The actor turned producer with the film that went to make an impact on the box-office and also helped increase her stature in the film industry. Though Bombay Velvet tanked, she did a fairly good job in Dil Dhadakne Do this year.
Rs 6-8 cr per film

Priyanka Chopra

Quantico made Priyanka an international star. (YouTube)

Priyanka Chopra changed the face of the game when she announced that she had inked a deal with American Studio ABC for her new show, Quantico. She was also a part of filmmaker Zoya Akhtar’s ensemble cast of Dil Dhadakne Do, where she played a pivotal role and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ­magnum opus, Bajirao Mastani.
Rs 7 cr per film

Akshay Kumar

Akshay is the biggest threat to the Khans. (YouTube)

With four releases — Baby, Gabbar Is Back, Brothers and Singh Is Bling — Khiladi Kumar has been on the top of his game throughout the year. The actor, who holds the record for working in maximum films in a year, kept up the tradition in 2015 too. He ranks 9th on the list with approx Rs 2,152 crore in annual earnings as per Forbes list of the World’s Highest Paid Actors.
Rs 35-40 cr per film

Amitabh Bachahan

Big B remained as active as ever throughout the year. (YouTube)

At 73, the actor’s portrayal of a Bengali character in Piku won a lot of hearts along with accolades. His TV show Aaj Ki Raat Zindagi too has been appreciated, making him one of the most ­popular names in 2015. He shared the spot with Salman Khan on the Forbes list with Rs 2,217 crore. 
Rs 20 cr per film

Aamir Khan

Aamir’s Dangal will release in 2016. (YouTube)

The revenues from PK and brand endorsements helped the actor rake in the moolah this year. Despite having no release in 2015, Aamir was in the news for his next project Dangal, as well as his statement on growing intolerance in the country.
Rs 40-45 cr per film

Sonam Kapoor

Sonam’s next Neerja looks promising. (YouTube)

Sonam Kapoor played a con artist in Dolly Ki Doli that released towards the beginning of this year. Though the film didn’t fare well at the box-office, Sonam’s performance was ­appreciated. However, it was the role opposite Salman Khan in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo that made her one of the top actors in 2015. 
Rs 5 cr per film