Deepika Padukone enters top ad league?

The fact that she is one of the youngest leading ladies in Bollywood seems to be working wonders for Deepika Padukone these days. The 26-year-old actor has apparently been signed on for a whopping sum of Rs 5 crore by a popular soap brand she endorses.

The fact that she is one of the youngest leading ladies in Bollywood seems to be working wonders for Deepika Padukone these days. The latest news is that the 26-year-old actor has apparently been signed on for a whopping sum of Rs 5 crore (for a year) by a popular soap brand she endorses.

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The actor has been the face of the beauty soap for almost four years. So when her agreement came up for renewal a few days ago, the brand managers went out of their way to retain the Om Shanti Om (2007) actor. Taking into consideration her youth connect, brand recall and long association with the brand, they apparently made her an offer she could not refuse.

When contacted, ITC Limited that owns Fiama Di Wills refused to comment on the figure. However, the spokesperson says, "Deepika is a perfect embodiment of a 21st century woman and she has gone a long way in building awareness for our brand. She stands for today’s woman’s innate confidence, style and taste."

Shop talk
Industry experts also feel that the ‘youth factor’ works in Deepika’s favour when it comes to ads. “It’s her biggest USP. Thanks to her age, she has a lot of time to go in the industry. Sometimes its beneficial for actors because it also allows companies to strike up long-term deals with them,” says ad guru Prahlad Kakkar. However, according to Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media, Deepika has mostly endorsed beauty and cosmetic brands. Calling them “safe options”, compared to Kareena Kapoor’s list, which includes a variety of shoes, gadgets and even two-wheeler brands, she says, “Still, if she has been signed on for a huge sum, it’s not surprising. Brands generally want consistency.”

The actor’s latest pay cheque, meanwhile, has put her on the top of the charts in the ad world. Before this deal, she was in the category of actors who charge not more than Rs 3 crore for an ad. Industry estimates reveal that actor Katrina Kaif currently charges around Rs 4 crore, Kareena is paid about Rs 3.5-4 crore per endorsement and Priyanka Chopra around Rs 3-3.5 crore.