(Image source from: India Today)

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has bagged a spot in the annual Forbes Celebrity 100 list. He has secured the 33rd spot in this year’s top 100 highest-paid celebrities in the world. American singing superstar Taylor Swift topped the list.

The actor featured on the list for being Bollywood’s highest-paid entertainer with earnings of USD 65 million or Rs 444 crore.

According to News18, Forbes said that as Bollywood’s top-earning star Akshay, "pulls in at least $5 million and up to $10 million per film." He also makes "millions for endorsement deals with over 20 brands."

Last year, as per the magazine, Akshay earned 40.5 million USD or INR 276 crores. Talking about the actor, the magazine told India Today, "One of Bollywood's leading men has transitioned to socially-conscious roles, such as Toilet (Ek Prem Katha), a comedy supporting government campaigns to improve sanitation, and Padman, about a guy hoping to provide inexpensive sanitary pads to rural communities. He still mints millions from backend profits and endorsing some 20 brands, including Tata and Eveready."

However, actors Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan have failed to secure a spot on the list this year. In 2018, Salman was on the 82nd spot on the list, with earnings of 37.7 million USD i.e., Rs 257 crore.

While Shah Rukh Khan, who had shared the list with Akshay and Salman, and featured at 65th rank back in 2017, was dropped out of the list of 2018.

Kumar is even ahead of Hollywood superstars like Rihanna, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Katy Perry, Bradley Cooper, and Lady Gaga to name a few. While Taylor Swift tops the list, the second position belongs to Kylie Jenner and the third to Kanye West.

On the work front, Akshay is currently gearing up for the release of Mission Mangal, co-starring Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Sonakshi Sinha, Nithya Menen, Kirti Kulhari and Sharman Joshi in prominent roles. Directed by Jagan Shakti film is slated to release on Independence Day this year.

By Sowmya Sangam