OTT: JUST AS MUCH LUCRATIVE FOR LEAD STARS

No, Panchayat stars Neena Gupta and Jitendra Kumar weren’t paid Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 70,000 per episode for the show. Industry insiders tell us how much leading actors on OTT can actually make
Yashika Mathur (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 6, 2024)

Recently, several media reports claimed that actor Jitendra Kumar, widely known as Sachiv Ji on the hit web series Panchayat, is paid a mere Rs. 70,000 per episode. To top that, reports claimed that his co-star, the remuneration of the much senior Neena Gupta, who played Manju Devi, was just Rs. 50,000.

But when we reached out to Kumar and Gupta, both refuted the information. Indicating that the reports couldn’t be further from the truth, trade analyst Taran Adarsh tells us that the earnings for popular OTT stars are “much higher” than the range rumoured for the Panchayat actors. A source suggests that Kumar was paid Rs. 1.5cr- Rs. 2cr for the show.

It is natural to wonder if OTT could be on par with theatrical films when it comes to fat paycheques for stars. “I won’t be able to comment about Jitendra’s remuneration, but stars who are popular on OTT, charge a massive amount, sometimes it can go up to crores,” says Adarsh, adding that a lot depends on producers’ willingness to invest in talent.

Trade analyst Atul Mohan concurs, “These are actors who are loved by the audiences. Seeing the scale [of their popularity], [their remuneration is ] almost at par with leading actors who appear in big-screen films.”

REMUNERATION GOES UP IF THE SHOW TAKES OFF
An industry insider shares that when a talent is locked for a series, the actor is signed on for the following seasons as well. “It is believed that in a standard contract, every actor is expected to get an average of 5% to 10% increase for the next season. This, however, is subject to show’s popularity,” adds the insider.

Building on the above point about how a show’s popularity and actors’ remuneration go hand-in-hand, Mohan notes that successful stars like Kumar, who are pivotal to shows like Panchayat, witness substantial increase in pay as their importance and impact grows across seasons.

“It’s different with every season, as and when popularity increases. Good actors, who have a strong following, can demand a hefty amount. Jitendra is the face of Panchayat. From the first season to the third one now, he has had the maximum impact,” Mohan explains.