Why Salman Khan took a ₹100 crore pay cut for Bigg Boss 19; here's how much the superstar is making this season

Salman Khan will reportedly take home ₹100 crore less for Bigg Boss 19 than he did for the previous season.

Updated on: Aug 24, 2025, 11:58:30 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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Superstar Salman Khan is back on the small screen, as a new edition of Bigg Boss kicks off tonight (August 24). Bigg Boss 19 will premiere on JioHotstar, followed by a delayed telecast on Colors. This OTT-first approach is revolutionary for the show, which has been a staple of primetime TV for close to two decades now. The show's popularity has meant that it is a big revenue earner for Endemol, the company backing it. This has made Salman Khan the highest-earning personality on TV, taking home in excess of ₹200 crore per season in the past. However, if reports are to be believed, the actor has taken a pay cut this season.

Salman Khan during shooting of the premiere episode of the reality television show Bigg Boss 19, in Mumbai, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (PTI Photo) (PTI)

Salman Khan's fees for Bigg Boss 19

According to sources, Salman Khan is charging ₹10 crore per weekend for hosting Bigg Boss this season. However, this time, Salman is reported to be hosting the show only for a little over three months. According to a Times Now report, Salman will host Bigg Boss for 15 weeks. This means that the star will pocket ₹150 crore for this season. Surprisingly, this is less than the ₹250 crore that Salman earned for hosting Bigg Boss 18, and even less than the ₹200 crore he earned for Bigg Boss 17.

The reason behind Salman's 'pay cut'

Salman is expected to hand over the hosting duties to guest hosts after 15 weeks, with names like Farah Khan and Karan Johar doing the rounds. Both filmmakers have previously filled in for Salman in earlier seasons. This reduction in hosting duties is the primary reason for Salman's reduced fees this season. Had he hosted the full season, his salary would have been at par with what he earned in Bigg Boss 18.

All about Bigg Boss 19

Bigg Boss 19 has a politics-based theme with promos hinting that public opinion will shape how the game continues this season. Salman began filming his promos on Friday, giving the world the first glimpse of the all-new Bigg Boss house. The show, with 18 contestants - whose identities have not yet been revealed - will begin streaming on JioHotstar on August 24.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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