Akshay Kumar demands Rs. 54cr for Bhansali's 'Rowdy Rathore 2'?
Akshay Kumar, who has been delivering back-to-back hits at the box office, is now gearing up for Mission Mangal, slated to release on August 15. He has also apparently signed Rowdy Rathore 2, a sequel to his 2012 hit Rowdy Rathore, for which he has hiked his fees. According to media reports, Akki has demanded a whopping Rs. 54 crore for the movie.
When Akshay jokingly asked for a 'Rowdy Rathore' sequel
According to a Deccan Chronicle report, when Akshay had pushed the release of PadMan to give Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat a free-run at the box office in 2018, "he jokingly asked Bhansali to promise him a Rowdy Rathore sequel." To note, Rowdy Rathore was produced by Bhansali. So now Akshay's wish has come true, as co-producer Shabina Khan confirmed the sequel early this month.
Akshay demanded double the amount he took for 'Rowdy Rathore'
However, when Akshay was approached for Rowdy Rathore 2, the superstar demanded double the amount he had charged for the first installment. "Akshay is fond of the number nine. When he was working on Rowdy Rathore, he billed the makers for Rs. 27 crore. But that was in 2012. Now, Akshay demands a cool Rs. 54 crore and gets it too," a source stated.
Makers in hunt for a new director for the sequel?
Notably, Rowdy Rathore was the official remake of 2006 Telugu film Vikramarkudu. While Rowdy Rathore was helmed by Prabhudeva, there are reports that the makers are planning to take another director on board for the sequel. Besides, the cast of the movie hasn't been finalized.
The only Bollywood face in Forbes' Highest-Paid Celebrities list 2019
Interestingly, Akshay had, recently, become the only Bollywood actor to star in Forbes' Highest-Paid Celebrities list 2019. With an earning of $65 million (approx Rs. 450cr) from June 2018-June 2019, the "Bollywood's top-earning star" grabbed the 33rd position in the list, which was topped by singer Taylor Swift. Reportedly, a significant chunk of Akshay's earnings comes from his endorsement deals with over 20 brands.
For now, Akshay's hands are full with interesting projects
The Forbes report also stated that Akshay "pulls in at least $5 million and up to $10 million (Rs. 34cr to Rs. 69cr) per film." As of now, the superstar has major projects in the pipeline, which includes Jagan Shakti's Mission Mangal, Housefull 4 produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, his home production Good News, Rohit Shetty's Soooryavanshi and horror-comedy Laxmmi Bomb, helmed by Raghava Lawrence.
