Anil Kapoor still gets paid for Slumdog Millionaire, credits pay cheques for millionaire status. Here’s how much he gets

Recently, Anil Kapoor revealed that the Slumdog Millionaire team had told him they could not afford his fee, prompting him to offer to do the film for free.

Nearly two decades after working on the 2008 Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, Anil Kapoor continues to receive pay cheques from the film’s team. In fact, the actor has revealed that the earnings from the project have played a role in contributing to his millionaire status.

Anil Kapoor was most recently seen in Prime Video’s Subedaar.

Anil Kapoor is still earning from Slumdog Millionaire

During a session at India Today Conclave 2026, Anil revealed that he continues to get payments for his appearance in the 2008 Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. He joined the conclave for a session titled The Ageless Revel: Rewriting the Rules of Stardom.

Anil said, “I must share this with you. It's a very emotional moment. It's been more than a decade and a half, and yesterday, again, I got a pay cheque for Slumdog Millionaire."

When asked about the amount that he gets, the actor shared, "Yesterday, it was 3,000 pounds. I pay all my taxes so I can say this. I am going to get almost half a million pounds. So, I am a millionaire. I didn't ask for it. They gave it themselves."

During the conversation, Anil also spoke about the reason for signing the film by director Danny Boyle. “I did that movie to educate myself. I want to learn, and that's how I stay relevant,” he said.

The 69-year-old further revealed that the team had initially told him they could not afford his fee, prompting him to offer to do the film for free.

About Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire is a loose adaptation of Vikas Swarup's book Q&A. The film tells the story of 18-year-old Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) from the slums of Mumbai who participates in the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, hosted by Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor), and wins it. He is interrogated by the police (Irrfan Khan), who wonder how he got all the answers correct.

Freida Pinto played Latika, the girl Jamal loves. The 2008 film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 2009 and won 8 of them, including Best Director and Best Picture.

Anil Kapoor’s recent project

Anil was most recently seen in Prime Video’s Subedaar. The action-drama also features Radhikka Madan, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik and Mona Singh.

Directed by Suresh Triveni, known for his work on Tumhari Sulu, Jalsa and Daldal, the film is about Subedaar Arjun Maurya, a retired soldier who is navigating a world where his traditional values face modern challenges. It also stars in key roles. The film was released on March 5 on Prime Video.

Anil will soon be seen in Alpha. Helmed by Shiv Rawail, the film also stars Alia Bhatt and Sharvari in lead roles along with Bobby Deol. The film is slated for release on July 10. Alpha was originally slated to release for Christmas 2025, but it was moved to April 17 2026. It is believed that the film has been pushed again to avoid clash with Salman Khan's Battle of Galwan, also releasing on April 17.