It’s official - big money is back in Bollywood.  And the relative newbies are jacking up their rates.

It has recently been reported in Indian press that Imran Khan, relative of Bollywood big-shot Aamir Khan, following the success of his debut movie Janne Tu Ya Jaane Na, has been offered Rs 7 crore ($1.6 million) for his next film.  With the backing of a film star supremo, Imran has been catapulted to the heights of superstardom.

There is also good news for fellow newcomer Ranbir Kapoor.  Despite a fairly pitiful debut with Saawariya, he is also riding the wave with a price tag of Rs 6 crore for his next film.  Although Ranbir has been working with top directors and producers, including Raj Kumar Santoshi, Mani Ratnam, and Karan Johar, it does seem slightly unfair that these newcomers should come with such high price tags having not earned their salt.

It appears that the well-connected stars are drawing the money due to their bankable family names instead of their acting talent.  Ranbir comes from the prestigious Kapoor clan (for those who don’t know, that’s Kareena, Karishma, Rishi, Raj, and well, half of Bollywood).  Hailing from such an acting dynasty has awarded him top billing in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film, alongside Anil Kapoor’s daughter Sonam (this further cementing the notion that all you need is to know the right people).

It’s a shame to think that Bollywood is so synonymous with filmi families, resulting in those without parental/sibling backing dwindling in B movies or item numbers - while the Kapoor’s and Khan’s of the industry take the lift to success and enjoy inflated salaries.

“Money is the new obsession that has taken over Bollywood,” says director Mahesh Bhatt. “It wasn’t as if our predecessors were not materialistic but they did not drool over money the way the current generation does every time you mention the word,” he adds.

The news of the young stars raking it in comes in light of the recent Hollywood report that Brit star Keira Knightley was the second highest paid actress last year.  This isn’t a bad achievement for someone who spends her time pouting and whinging about how big money blockbusters don’t challenge her emotionally (though they do inflate her bank balance).

So it seems that whether it’s LA or Mumbai, Hollywood or Bollywood, now is a better time than ever for a budding young actor/actress to make it big, and stake their claim on the slice of filmi cake - providing of course that you’ve got a relative in the midst, or like Keira, you can pout for England to distract from your wooden acting.

(11 votes. Average: 4 out of 5)