Slow Monday, with no big releases last Friday and no new Hrithik-Kangana news, or any other scandal coming up to oust them off the front pages.  But there are a couple of interesting sort of industrial notes.

First, and most importantly, Befikre first look!  This is that Aditya Chopra passion project, the one he announced through an imaginary dialogue with his Dad, that will be released as a first birthday present for his daughter.  He already released one still, a super close-up of the two stars kissing.  The new image is similarly sexual.  But there’s got to be more to it than that, right?  I mean, he’s releasing it on his daughter’s birthday!  They’ve got to be drawing us in with the sexy images, and then they will throw us a curve ball later with some sort of surprising twist.  They have an illegitimate child!  Or, one of them is crippled!  Or, incest!!!  Or, they’re both dying!  I don’t know, I’m just guessing here.

Also out today are the estimated tax rates for all the big stars.  This is what they are projecting they will owe for financial year 2015-2016, not what they already paid for 2014-2015.  Anyway, Salman wins!!!!  He paid 32 crore.  Which is the same Shahrukh paid last year.  This year, Shahrukh only paid 20 crore.  Akshay was second, at 30 crore.  And third, right above Shahrukh, is Ranbir Kapoor, at 22.3 crore.  Then Aamir at 19.6.  And then Amitabh at 17.5.  Bringing up the rear, is Ajay Devgn holding stead at 5 crore, and Priyanka at 1.45 crore, down from 2.46 last year.

Isn’t this interesting?  Salman, anyone could probably guess that, just based on how well Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo did at the box office.  But Akshay, you squirrelly little saver you!  I am guessing this is from his percentage of the net of Airlift (detailed here), which really was more profitable than taking a salary.  Plus, whatever he is getting for Housefull 3 (If I was an actor, you would have to pay me millions of dollars to get me in a Housefull movie).

Ranbir Kapoor is the really interesting one.  Despite a string of I-don’t-even-know-how-many flops, he is still raking in the big bucks in salaries per film and for his brand ambassador duties.  Fascinating!  The way perception plays into value, rather than actual value.  Really, Ranveer should be making much more than Ranbir, but Ranbir is A Kapoor, so people keep throwing money at him.

Aamir and Amitabh are about the same, which is also interesting!  Amitabh hasn’t had a solid big hit in a while, but he works steadily, and has all his brand duties.  Aamir, on the other hand, only had huge hits, but they are super stretched out, and he also has his brand duties.  So apparently, in terms of perceived value for advertisers, and actual income from films, you can either do one film every 2 years but make it a huge success, or do 2-4 films a year that all do reasonably well.  That is, assuming you are Aamir or Amitabh, and you’ve proved your worth long ago, not just starting out.

Ajay really surprised me, I would have thought he would go much higher.  He hasn’t had a huge hit in a while, but he works steadily, and he has his own production company.  Does he just not have as many brand endorsements as the others?  Is that it?  And then there’s Priyanka, who just serves to confirm that “Best Known Female Star” is still pretty meaningless compared to even the “Least Known Male Star”.

And then a final story, which kind of relates back to the last story.  A big part of the reason all those people made so much money, is because everyone paid them.  Which sounds silly, but it is an actual issue!  Contracts are hard to enforce, legal methods take forever, and half your pay is usually in extra-legal “black money” anyway.  But no one is going to skip on paying Salman, Akshay, Ranbir, Shahrukh, Aamir, Amitabh, or even Ajay.  You would become persona non grata in the industry.  That’s where their influence and connections have an actual monetary value, something they can bring to bear on their debtors.  But, if you are just a random technician, not so much!

Sanjay Gupta is in trouble right now, because he still hasn’t paid various people for their work on Jazbaa.  He claims it is because he himself has not gotten paid by the fly by night production company who partnered with him on producing the film.  I kind of believe him, but I also kind of want to say “Sanjay!  You idiot!  This is why you only work with friends and relatives, not just business partners!”  What’s the downside to some producer taking the profit and never paying the workers?  They can take the profit and never work in film again.  It’s director/producers like Sanjay Gupta who will suffer, lose faith, and have a hard time getting workers for their next film.