Imran Khan reveals his highest paycheck; says Bollywood's A-listers are not 'earning less than...'

Actor Imran Khan is all set to make his comeback to the big screen with Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, and recently, he has sparked controversy about the casting tactics and staggering fees in Bollywood, leaving fans shocked.

Casting depends on the budget

During an interview with Samdish Bhatia, Khan revealed that in Bollywood, casting decisions have to do more with budgets and less with creative suitability. Talking about his experience with Vishal Bhardwaj’s Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, the actor said that his role was first offered to Ajay Devgn, who exited the project during the preparation stage.

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"The approach to casting is all based on budget, even now. It has nothing to do with whether you’re the right actor for the role. They’re just thinking, ‘How much money can I get with him?’ That’s how I ended up being cast in Matru. On my back, they could get an X amount of money," he said.

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Fees of A-listers

In the interview, Khan also revealed the minimum fees earned by A-listers of Hindi cinema today. "If you’re an A-lister in theatrical films today, you’re not earning less than ₹30 crore per film. Anyone my age-Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Shahid Kapoor - they are not earning less than ₹30 crore. I would be surprised if any of them are earning less than that," he said.

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The actor also questioned the widening pay gap within film productions, “At some point, people will sit down and say, ‘Hang on, this is not making sense.’ It doesn’t make sense to pay one person so much.”

Imran Khan's highest paycheck

He experienced a huge financial shift after the success of his debut film Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na. "When my first film was released and became a hit, I went from being paid almost nothing to being paid multiple crores. At 25, suddenly you’re being paid Rs 7-10 crore. By the time Jaane Tu released, I had already done three films. I suddenly thought to myself, ‘Did my acting grow so much from my previous film?’"

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Khan's highest paycheck, he said, was ₹12 crore.

About Imran Khan's work front

The actor will be next seen in Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos. Directed by Vir Das and Kavi Shastri, the comedy-drama also features Vir Das, Mithila Palkar, and Sharib Hashmi, with Aamir Khan set to make a special appearance. The film is scheduled to be released on January 16, 2026.