New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khan has topped the inaugural Forbes India Celebrity 100 list, a ranking of India's biggest entertainers based on their income and popularity. Salman Khan and MS Dhoni, who closely followed SRK in the ranking, might be more famous, but King Khan landed at No 1 in the Celebrity 100, thanks to his earning power.
Forbes India estimates Shah Rukh earned Rs 202.8 crore, compared to Salman's Rs 144.2 crore and Dhoni's Rs 135.16 crore between September 2011 and October 2012. Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan are the other two celebrities in the top 5.
The ranking is a part Forbes India's special edition that decoded what lies behind the success of India's biggest creative entrepreneurs. The special edition has features, essays, interviews, infographics and snippets on the various facets of Indian entertainment industry.an has topped the inaugural Forbes India Celebrity 100 list, based on his income and popularit
"Today, India doesn't quite have a creative economy that is as big and vibrant as a country of a billion people ought to have. As incomes rise and basic needs get covered, spends on entertainment will sky-rocket, as we've seen with IPL cricket. The interplay of technology and new forms of creativity will completely transform the entertainment space over the next decade," said Forbes India editor Indrajit Gupta.
The list is an attempt to rank the most powerful and the most popular of the players who are at the centre of this sector. The list ranks celebrities across eight categories - Actors, Sportspersons, TV personalities (Malaika Arora Khan, who earned Rs 5.65 crore), Comedians (Vir Das, Rs 1.6 crore), Directors (Karan Johar Rs 10 crore), Models (Esha Gupta, Rs 93.75 lakh) and Musicians (AR Rahman Rs 32.91 crore).
It was compiled based on a rigorous process that considered their income (from the business of entertainment) and fame (as measured by media mentions, online presence, social media followers)
A majority of celebrities fall in the age bracket of 30 to 50. However, that hasn't prevented a clutch of 12 youngsters like Saina Nehwal, Virat Kohli, Anusukha Sharma and Sania Mirza from breaking into the top 50. In fact, at age 23, Saina Nehwal is the youngest on the list.
Here are the top 10:
1. Shah Rukh Khan
2. Salman Khan
3. MS Dhoni
4. Akshay Kumar
5. Amitabh Bachchan
6. Sachin Tendulkar
7. Kareena Kapoor
8. Virender Sehwag
9. Virat Kohli
10. Katrina Kaif
