Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; March 29, 2018)

It’s that time of the year when the new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is about to kick off. With this year’s edition starting on April 7, the opening ceremony will see the who’s who of Bollywood gracing the stage with some high-octane performances. This time, a bevy of Gen-Y stars, which includes names like Varun Dhawan, Ranveer Singh, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Parineeti Chopra, are part of the starry line-up for the opening night’s glittering affair.

VARUN MARCHES AHEAD OF RANVEER
Among the actors who are performing this time, the Judwaa 2 star has got the highest remuneration. Reveals a source, “Recently, there were reports that Ranveer has been given around Rs 5 crore for his IPL act. But the organisers have paid Varun much more and he’s the highest paid of the lot this year. His fee is somewhere close to Rs 6 crore, although the exact figure isn’t known.”

WHY THE DIFFERENCE?
The organisers decided to pay Varun more than everyone else for a simple reason — his connect and popularity with the junta. Adds the source, “Varun has a great connect with the masses and among all the actors from the younger generation, he has the maximum number of chartbusters in his kitty. He will be dancing to his recent hits from Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Judwaa 2, as well as other films. Jacqueline and he might also perform a few songs together.”

THE BALANCING ACT
Varun is currently shooting for Sui Dhaaga and simultaneously promoting October, which releases in April. A source close to the actor tells us, “Varun has taken two days off from the schedule to rehearse for his IPL performance.”