Upala KBR (DNA; June 8, 2016)

Deepika Padukone has been approached by an airline to be their brand ambassador. She has quoted a fantastic fee of Rs 8 crore for the same.

Says a source, “She is currently in talks, through her brand team. The Rs 8 crore tag is her asking price for a three-day shoot. It’s typically a certain number of days per year. For brand shoots, normally the payment is per day. Deepika charges Rs 1-5 crore for a day. But Rs 8 crore seems a bit high as only Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor command that kind of fee for endorsements. Among sportsmen, only MS Dhoni and now, Virat Kohli recently have started charging close to that figure.”

The source adds that the negotiations are almost closed. “When Deepika’s team asked for that amount, they weren’t sure they would get it. But they have to constantly up the star’s price according to the market value and Deepika has had a fantastic year with Piku and Bajirao Mastani, so she is in the position to hike her fee. Whether the brand will pay her that amount, remains to be seen. Deepika is currently negotiating for Rs 2 crore plus per day. If she gets the price she is asking for, it will catapult her into the biggest league.”