BIGG BOSS 6: Salman Khan becomes highest paid actor on tube!

No one can deny his star power on the big screen. But even as Salman Khan returns for the third consecutive season of Bigg Boss today, we hear that his pay packet for the small screen too has gone up significantly.

After taking home Rs. 2.8 - Rs. 3 crore per episode last year, the actor will pocket a cool Rs. 3.8 to Rs. 4 crore per episode this time around. The earlier season had seen Sanjay Dutt play co-host as Salman was either busy shooting for Ek Tha Tiger or coping with his illness. This time, however, the star will be present from the start to finish and is being paid big bucks for this commitment.

Incidentally, this also makes Salman the highest-paid Bollywood actor on the tube, followed by Aamir Khan (Satyamev Jayate,

Rs. 3 crore per episode), Shah Rukh Khan (Total Wipeout: Zor Ka Jhatka,

Rs. 2 crore per episode), Hrithik Roshan (Just Dance, Rs. 2 crore per episode), and Akshay Kumar (Khatron Ke Khiladi season four, Rs. 1.5 crore per episode). Amitabh Bachchan, though, is in a different league altogether. He has signed a whopping deal of Rs. 100 crore for three seasons of Kaun Banega Crorepati.

Bigg Boss is close to Salman. His family loves it and he is aware of its popularity. A source close to the show says, “Salman relates to Bigg Boss because of the concept and its appeal. He appreciates the fact that the show allows people who are usually misunderstood to prove themselves in the house. The public too loves watching his real side and he gets a chance to meet people from all walks of life. The fact that he insisted that the show become family-oriented and air at 9 pm, shows his involvement and interest in it.”

Inside the Bigg Boss House

With season six of the Colors reality show, Bigg Boss, beginning tonight, I, along with 14 other journalists, got an opportunity to get a feel of the house way before the contestants.

I was let into the house with a mike and a blindfold. Along with a pool, a gymnasium, an aquarium, and surprisingly, a hand pump, the spacious garden also includes the statues of the three monkeys depicting ‘Sal-mannerisms’ (See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil). With around 70 cameras in the house, hiding from the voyeuristic eye is almost impossible.

Comprising over 15,000 sq feet, the house is the largest so far, and designed by Bollywood set designer Sabu Cyril, in vibrant colours — white, yellow, orange and green. It comprises a living area, two bedrooms — one arranged in the style of flower petals and the other of double and single beds and the captain’s room with an attached bathroom. And the famous confession room now has a futuristic look with a metallic finish.

With vaastu and feng-shui elements introduced in the house to maintain peace and harmony, the makers are serious about making the show apt for family audiences.

After the 14 journalists arrived, the booming voice, saying, “Bigg Boss chahte hain” (Bigg Boss wants) gave us our first task — to eat 10 bananas in one go. We sportingly took up the task and enjoyed it to the core. When it was time for refreshments, Bigg Boss gave us a good meal, saving us the trouble of preparing a meal for ourselves.

Time flew and just when we were about to call it a day, Bigg Boss gave us another task — to prepare a dessert. Two teams prepared fruit custard, with my team ultimately winning the task. A long day of fun and gossip finally came to an end. Next morning, we were woken up by the loud Bigg Boss title song, indicating that soon it was time to leave the house.