By Hindustan Times
The incontrovertible fact that she is without doubt one of the youngest leading ladies in Bollywood appears to be working wonders for Deepika Padukone at the present time. The most recent news is that the 26-year-old actor has apparently been signed on for a whopping sum of Rs 5 crore (for a year) by a well-liked soap brand she endorses.
The actor was the face of the wonder soap for nearly four years. So when her agreement came up for renewal a couple of days ago, the emblem managers went out in their option to retain the Om Shanti Om (2007) actor. Taking into account her youth connect, brand recall and long association with the brand, they apparently made her a proposal she couldn't refuse.
When contacted, ITC Limited that owns Fiama Di Wills refused to touch upon the figure. However, the spokesperson says, “Deepika is an ideal embodiment of a 21st century woman and she or he has gone a ways in building awareness for our brand. She stands for today’s woman’s innate confidence, style and taste.”
Shop talk
Industry experts also feel that the ‘youth factor’ works in Deepika’s favour in terms of ads. “It’s her biggest USP. Way to her age, she has numerous time to head within the industry. Sometimes its beneficial for actors as it also allows companies to strike up long-term deals with them,” says ad guru Prahlad Kakkar. However, consistent with Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media, Deepika has mostly endorsed beauty and cosmetic brands. Calling them “safe options”, in comparison to Kareena Kapoor’s list, which incorporates a number of shoes, gadgets or even two-wheeler brands, she says, “Still, if she was signed on for an enormous sum, it’s not surprising. Brands generally want consistency.”
The actor’s latest pay cheque, meanwhile, has put her at the top of the charts within the ad world. Before this deal, she was within the category of actors who charge no more than Rs 3 crore for an ad. Industry estimates reveal that actor Katrina Kaif currently charges around Rs 4 crore, Kareena is paid about Rs 3.5-4 crore per endorsement and Priyanka Chopra around Rs 3-3.5 crore.
