Salman Khan Tops And Beats Shah Rukh Khan

Though ranked third, Brand Shah Rukh Khan stays undiminished while Amitabh Bachchan moves up three places to second spot

The 2014 Forbes India Celebrity 100 in its third year has found a new leader. For the first time in its three-year run, Shah Rukh Khan has been unseated from the top slot by friend and peer Salman Khan. Reason: The star didn’t have a film release (barring a cameo) in the period considered for this list (October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014). Consequently, he finds himself at No 3.

Salman Khan, meanwhile, has topped the charts, both in terms of revenues and fame – a first for a Forbes India celebrity list topper. Clearly, though controversy and court cases continue to dodge the actor, his clout has only continued to grow with his box office hits, TV appearances and his charitable trust Being Human.

The No 2 slot is occupied by Bollywood’s most enduring star Amitabh Bachchan, who has moved up three places this year. His celebritydom was only enhanced by his nearly 12 million Twitter following, the largest for anybody on that platform in India.

Despite a quiet year, Shah Rukh Khan’s firm hold in the top of the list can be attributed to his undiminished brand value that has earned him approximately Rs 202 crore (the highest through endorsements). With 22 such deals in hand, he has endorsed the highest number of brands this year.

On the fame count, however, he could only garner a No.7 costing him the top slot.

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The top 5 in the 2014 Forbes India Celebrity 100 dominates the earnings sweepstakes, accounting for as much as 35 percent of the total revenues of the Top 100. However, like last year, the top 10 continues to have only one woman—this time, Deepika Padukone replaces Katrina Kaif.

Preity Zinta makes a surprise entry in the celebrity list at No 14 on the back of her fame count which far outweighs her relatively insignificant earnings. Her film career, however, had no role to play in this. It was her spat with Ness Wadia, the co-owner of IPL’s King’s XI Punjab, and the strong performance of the team that ensured media coverage.

The 2014 Forbes India Celebrity 100 issue this year is a five-cover special: Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Ranveer Singh and Sania Mirza. The all-star lineup also includes features on film directors Imtiaz Ali and AR Murugadoss, singer Arijit Singh, Olympic medal winning boxer Mary Kom and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane.

The Top Ten and their Earnings:

(All earnings in Rs. Crores)

1 Salman Khan 244.50

2 Amitabh Bachchan 196.75

3 Shah Rukh Khan 202.40

4 MS Dhoni 141.80

5 Akshay Kumar 172.00

6 Virat Kohli 58.43

7 Aamir Khan 80.47

8 Deepika Padukone 67.20

9 Hrithik Roshan 85.00

10 Sachin Tendulkar 59.54

While the Forbes India Rich List focuses on net worth, the Celebrity 100 list is arrived at by measuring money (earnings estimates) and fame. The list includes movie actors, television stars, sportspersons, authors, film directors, music directors, singers and stand-up comedians.

Their gross pre-tax earnings are combined with their fame scores to arrive at the Forbes India Celebrity 100 List.

Also See: Photos: Shah Rukh Khan And Kajol Recreate DDLJ Magic At Maratha Mandir