Mumbai, March 19: With Aishwarya Rai carrying home a pay packet of Rs 40 million for her proposed stint as Rajnikant`s leading lady in Shankar`s `Robot`, she has now become the highest-paid actress in Indian cinema.
"Yes, it`s close to Rs 40 million. And she`s very amused when she reads that she is the highest-paid actress in Bollywood. With three hits in a row, `Guru`, `Dhoom 2` and `Jodhaa Akbar`, Ash`s equity as a Rai and a Bachchan have gone through the roof," said a source close to Aishwarya.
"It is no surprise that Aishwarya is getting Rs 40 million. It`s still chicken feed compared with what Rajnikant carries home. He takes home Rs.150 million plus fifty percent of his film`s profits. But still he cannot make a film commercially viable outside the Tamil belt on his own."
"The dubbed Hindi version of `Chandramukhi` came and went. And Rajni`s biggest hit `Shivaji - The Boss` is in no hurry to be released in Hindi. With Ash in `Robot` it looks like an attractive non-regional film," said another source close to the project.
Bureau Report
