By Ruby Zaidi
Smriti Irani is back — and she’s rewriting the rules of TV money.
Two decades ago, she was Tulsi Virani — the face that redefined Indian prime-time television. Today, she’s returning to the same battlefield with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, but this time, she’s not just making headlines for her comeback — she’s making history for her record-breaking pay cheque.
According to industry whispers and credible reports, Smriti Irani is being paid a jaw-dropping ₹14 lakh per episode. That’s not just big — that’s highest-ever-for-a-fiction-show big. To put it in perspective, current TV queen Rupali Ganguly (Anupamaa) earns approximately ₹3 lakh per episode, and glam diva Hina Khan commands up to ₹2 lakh. Smriti’s fee is more than four times the reigning champ’s — and possibly the boldest statement Indian television has seen in years.
When asked about the staggering numbers, Smriti, never one to shy away from a direct answer, smiled knowingly. “Yes, I see the glee on your face,” she told reporters, almost as if enjoying the fact that she’d just shifted the industry’s pay-scale benchmark overnight.
But here’s the thing: even with Smriti’s historic payday, there’s a parallel reality in Indian television where the money is ten times bigger — and that belongs to the kings of reality TV.
The Big Boss of Big Money: Salman Khan
If Smriti is ruling the fiction empire, Salman Khan is the undisputed emperor of reality television. The Bollywood megastar is reportedly charging between ₹150–200 crore just for the OTT leg of Bigg Boss 19. Add the television season to the mix, and the total rockets to an estimated ₹280 crore.
How does that break down? Insiders claim he gets ₹15–18 crore per episode for the TV run. Multiply that by 15 weeks, and the math gets dizzying — this is a paycheck that could fund multiple mid-budget Bollywood films. And remember, Bigg Boss isn’t just a show — it’s a cultural juggernaut, making Salman’s fee part of a high-stakes ratings war for TRPs.
The Living Legend Who’s Still Cashing Big: Amitabh Bachchan
Then there’s Amitabh Bachchan — a man who has ruled both cinema and television for decades. For Kaun Banega Crorepati season 17, the Shahenshah reportedly charges ₹5 crore per episode. Since the quiz show airs five nights a week, that’s ₹25 crore per week — an amount most TV actors would struggle to earn in a lifetime.
What’s fascinating is that KBC isn’t just about money — it’s about brand loyalty. Amitabh’s presence guarantees ratings, which guarantees ad revenue, which makes that ₹5 crore per episode seem like a bargain for broadcasters.
The Great TV Divide: Fiction vs. Reality
Here’s the investigative takeaway: the Indian TV industry operates in two different economies.
- Fiction actors — even at the absolute top — are only now breaking past the ₹10 lakh-per-episode barrier. Smriti Irani’s deal could change how top stars negotiate in the coming years.
- Reality show hosts — especially if they’re Bollywood royalty — are in a stratosphere of their own, where single-episode fees can be worth more than an entire season’s pay for most fiction stars.
Smriti’s return is being watched not just by her fans but by industry insiders. If Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 smashes TRP records, it might embolden other top actors to demand reality-TV-level pay for fiction, something that could reshape the economics of Indian television forever.
One thing’s clear: whether it’s the queen of soaps, the Bhai of Bollywood, or the Shahenshah of cinema, Indian television’s biggest names are no longer just entertainers — they’re billion-rupee brands.
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