Bollywood, as the Hindi film industry is popularly known, is one of the most popular and prolific film industries in the world, with hundreds of movies released every year, and an adoring fan base of billions of people, not just in India but all over the world. The biggest Bollywood stars earn huge amounts for every movie they make, with many of them not just being paid a fee but also earning a cut of the box office collections of the movie. Thus, most stars have diverse investment portfolios as well, ranging from real estate to hospitality to production companies. However, many of them have been showing an interest in putting money into startups in recent times as well, since this can provide a very high rate of return, while also allowing them to associate with companies and brands that are making waves in their respective fields. Let’s have a look at some of the Bollywood actors who have invested in startups –
Hrithik Roshan
Hrithik Roshan is one of the fittest male actors in Bollywood, despite being nearly 47 years old, and his love for fitness led him to start his own fitness brand, HRX, back in 2013. It produces athleisure clothing, as well as footwear and fitness wear, and has also moved into providing online workouts as well as collaborating with other brands including Cure Fit.
Priyanka Chopra
Having moved to the US, Priyanka Chopra has recently invested in the US-based dating app Bumble. While being an investor, she has also appeared as a brand ambassador for the app, with various advertisements and promotional campaigns. Rumours are that she is also looking to invest in tech-based startups in the future.
Amitabh Bachchan
He is perhaps the most famous Bollywood actor of all time, and is certainly considered one of the best ever. Known as the Big B, he has recently put money into a Singapore-based blockchain research startup in a joint venture with his son. Many investors and people in the industry are convinced that blockchain is the future. It has many potential uses and applications, and one of these is in the gambling and casino sectors, where quite a few gambling sites are beginning to integrate blockchain technology into their online casinos to improve the user experience and provide transparency. It is also giving the chance for players to use cryptocurrencies and play casino games for bitcoin and other crypto assets, thus showing that there is a lot of potential for this technology. Bachchan’s investment in the platform, called Ziddu.com, is nearly $250,000.
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone is one of the highest-paid actresses in Bollywood and has partnered with the online fashion shopping portal Myntra, to create her own fashion line. The brand, called ‘All About You’, was launched in 2015 and is an equal partnership between Myntra and her, and has become the most popular brand for women’s fashion on Myntra in the last five years.
Akshay Kumar and Madhuri Dixit
Akshay Kumar and Madhuri Dixit have both made investments into GOQii, which is a company creating smart tech wearables, looking to provide an integrated and preventive healthcare platform for their users. It aims to use technology to promote a healthy lifestyle, through clean eating and exercise, which makes it the perfect platform for healthy Bollywood stars to promote and invest in.
These are quite a few interesting startups that have caught the eye of Bollywood’s biggest celebs. It remains to be seen if these investments bear fruit, but it is encouraging that these celebrities are looking to diversify their investment portfolios and not stick to the traditional investment routes.