Saas-bahu proves a lucrative formula for women TV actors

In striking contrast to Bollywood where men dominate the pecking order of the highest paid stars, television appears to be a woman's world.

The highest paid TV actor is Smriti Irani of "Tulsi" fame, who commands, according to the industry, Rs 1 lakh per shift (the standard mode of payment in the business), double what the most expensive male TV star, Ronit Roy, is paid (around Rs 50,000 per shift). A shift varies between 8 and 12 hours a day.

Roy till recently co-starred with Irani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi , the blockbuster TV serial from Balaji Telefilms. According to the industry, the top five female TV stars rake in between Rs 30,000 and Rs 35,000 per shift compared to between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 for the top five male counterparts. 

WOMEN IN FOCUS (Figures in Rs per shift, per day)                            (Top TV earners)
Top 5 women		Top 5 men
1  Smriti Irani (approx)	1,00,000	1  Ronit Roy	50,000
2  Shweta Tiwaari	35,000	2  Ram Kapoor	30,000
3  Saakshi Tanvar	30,000	3  Aman Verma	30,000
4  Urvashi Dolakia	30,000	4  Apoorva Agnihotri	25,000
5  Mona Singh	30,000	5  Cezanne Khan	25,000

It is, of course, not necessary for one episode of a serial to be completed in one shift. High-profile actors work for an average of 10 days a month, while others may work for 15-20 days a month.

"If one is paying a high price for a particular actor, the production company wants to get done with that actor's shifts first," said an executive from a leading television production house.

However, when it comes to anchors on TV, the pecking order is different. Film actor and now TV host Shekhar Suman rakes in Rs 4 lakh per shift. But Mandira Bedi "" the highest-paid female anchor with the tag of being the first woman anchor for the cricket World Cup on Sony TV "" gets Rs 1.5 lakh a day.

The high pay tag for women is mostly because soap operas that dominate the top 10 rankings in terms of viewership are saas-bahu serials with women as the central character.

Also, most of the stars that top the list are mainly from Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms, which is said to pay its actors 20 per cent more than industry benchmarks.

"Ekta discovers talent and nurtures it. She determines the rates of stars in the TV business. Most successful and popular actors today hail from the Balaji house," said an industry source.

Media experts said actors who have become household names after playing a part in Kapoor's serials usually charge a premium once they start working with another production company.