Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; July 8, 2016)

Reality shows are the darling of small screen audience and the money that’s involved is undoubtedly obscene. If sources are to be believed, Manish Paul, who is set to present the upcoming season of dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, for the fifth successive year, will be taking home a cheque of Rs 2.5 crore. This makes him the highest paid non-Bollywood TV host at the moment.

Says a source, “Manish has been associated with the show for five years and shares a warm equation with the production team of Jhalak. He is not just spontaneous and funny, but pretty flexible and accommodating too. So, when he asked for Rs 2.5 crore as remuneration for hosting the upcoming season, the makers did not hesitate.” Reportedly, the anchor-actor made Rs 1.5 crore last year as the show host.

Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa will have close to 35 episodes over its four-month run, which means Manish will be paid close to R 7 lakh per episode. “Normally, TV hosts draw Rs 1-1.4 crore to be part of popular reality shows that run as long as four months— unless he/she is a Bollywood celebrity. However, Manish seems to be the highest paid non-Bollywood anchor on TV currently,” adds an insider.

The channel’s spokesperson denies the buzz while Manish chose not to respond to text messages. A source close to him, however, confirms the story.