Salman Khan tops Forbes India Celebrity 100 list for second consecutive year

The 51-year-old actor pips Shah Rukh Khan on the back of his INR 232.83 crore estimated revenue earnings, for the year under review

December 22^nd, 2017: Hindi film star Salman Khan has been ranked No. 1 on the sixth Forbes India Celebrity 100 List. The complete list is available at http://www.forbesindia.com. The list can also be found in the upcoming issue of Forbes India, which will be available on newsstands from December 22, 2017.

The 2017 Forbes India Celebrity 100 List rankings are based on estimates of entertainment-related earnings of celebrities. The period under consideration is October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017.

The methodology for calculating the ranking may have changed this year (to exclude the ‘fame’ quotient), but the list’s top three names have remained constant. The 51-year-old Salman, for the second successive year, grabbed the top spot, despite the subdued box office performance of his film Tubelight. The actor earned INR 232.83 crore, backed by endorsements of several consumer-facing brands. In fact, his earnings constitute 8.67 percent of the total earnings— INR 2,683 crore—of the top 100 celebrities for the year.

Shah Rukh Khan, with INR 170.5 crore, also retained his position at No 2, as did India’s cricket captain Virat Kohli, with ₹100.72 crore, at No 3. But although the top three held on to their ranks, their cumulative earnings declined by almost 20 percent, down to INR 504.05 crore compared to last year’s total of INR 626.52 crore.

Joy Chakraborthy, CEO – Forbes India and President – Revenue, TV18, said, “We are delighted to present yet another collector’s edition of Forbes India which will hit the stands soon. Over the years this list has established itself as the definitive benchmark of who’s making what in the entire entertainment world. This year’s Celebrity 100 list is based on a revised methodology focusing on the celebrities’ earnings, thus reflecting in better representation and hence a well-rounded Celebrity list of 100.”

The revised methodology this year, focusing only on a celebrity’s earnings (compared to the previous combination of ‘fame’ and ‘earnings’), has increased representation from the prolific South Indian film industry. There are 13 actors from the South this year as against 11 last year.The number of Bollywood actors is down from 35 to 33, reducing their cumulative earnings by 13 percent from the previous year.

Brian Carvalho, Editor, Forbes India, said, “As in previous years, Bollywood and cricket rule the list, with 46 actors and 15 cricketers (out of 21 sportspeople).  But, beyond the Khans, Kapoor and Kohli, there are names that provide a breath of fresh air. Also, high-achievers such as Priyanka Chopra, PV Sindhu, Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma and the 17 other women have shone bright on the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list, which is why three of the five covers we’ve created for this special issue have women gracing them.”

Shuttler PV Sindhu (INR 57.25 crore) was the highest money gainer (in percentage terms), as her total earnings soared nearly 17 times, propelled by several brand endorsements following her 2016 Rio Olympics silver medal. There is one woman in the top 10, Priyanka Chopra (No 7; INR 68 crore), as she continued to make her mark internationally.

The overall earnings of the Celebrity 100 declined this year, from ₹2,745 crore in 2016 to ₹2,683 crore this year.

The top 10 achievers on the 2017 Forbes India Celebrity 100 list are:

Methodology

The 2017 Forbes India Celebrity 100 List rankings are based on estimates of entertainment-related earnings of celebrities. Please note that unlike previous editions of the List, and in alignment with the Forbes methodology, we have excluded the ‘fame’ quotient to determine the ranks. The period under consideration is October 1, 2016, to September 30, 2017.

How the Earnings Were Calculated

For each celebrity, depending on category, we sought independent estimates from multiple sources—industry insiders, talent management agencies, film and TV production companies, publishers, music industry professionals, sports consultants, advertising and media agencies, brand marketers, celebrity managers and other relevant experts.

Our principal partners for the 2017 Forbes India Celebrity 100 List include GroupM ESP, Globosport, Exceed Entertainment, boxofficeindia.co.in, indiantelevision.com, indianwikimedia.com and Galatta. The entire process was verified and validated by EY, our process advisors.

Note: The sources of earnings vary according to the category. For each celebrity, the primary sources of his/her earnings have been considered. These include professional fees and remuneration (including winnings but not government grants), royalties, or front-of-camera (film, television) appearances for all celebrities; but exclude live shows/ events (except for singers/musicians and comedians), interest and dividend income, leave and licence fees, income from businesses, investments, agriculture, over-the-top and social media platforms, and from special appearances at events. For an actor-producer or a director-producer, for instance, we have considered only her/his earnings as an actor or director, in case of a complete home production.

However, since these estimates are meant for a limited purpose, they may not be accurate or official and cannot be relied upon for any legal or compliance purposes. The ratings given are subjective and may not necessarily reflect the actual financial worth of the persons featured. The numbers are, therefore, merely indicative.

We (at Forbes India magazine, Digital18 Media Limited) have done our best to verify the information published, but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information.

About Forbes India

Forbes India is a Network18 venture in partnership with Forbes Media LLC. Since its launch in 2009, Forbes India has spearheaded the community that upholds ‘The Power of Free Enterprise’ while investing in the intellectual capital of business minds. It delivers sharp, in-depth and engaging stories by looking at global and domestic issues from an Indian prism, thereby placing its readers ahead of the curve. Leaping beyond the boundaries of the boardroom, it seamlessly merges the world of business, entrepreneurship, entertainment, technology, culture and luxury with the people who are changing the world for the better. Edited by Brian Carvalhoand led by Joy Chakraborthy, Forbes India has emerged as the most influential and credible business magazine in the country. It brings to light, ideas and the people generating them, in turn, allowing the reader to get the edge as a professional; and subsequently, opening up the potential for wealth creation. Forbes India also has an online destination, www.forbesindia.com.