Filmmaking has a lot of money, there is no denying that fact. Some of the biggest movies in India rake in hundreds of crores from just theatrical earnings. Add to that the satellite and digital rights and moviemaking in India becomes a multibillion dollar industry. It’s no wonder that filmmakers are extremely rich. But who is the richest of them all? The answer would surprise you!
The richest Indian film producer is
The richest film producer in India is worth a whopping $1.55 billion (Rs 12,800 crore), much higher than what most actors and directors in this country can dream of. The usual suspects for this honour would be men and women who head big studios such as Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra, Bhushan Kumar, or even Ekta Kapoor. However, they all pale in comparison with the extraordnary net worth of Ronnie Screwvala, the founder of UTV and the current head of RSVP Movies.
Ronnie Screwvala net worth
Ronnie Screwvala has been named among India’s most influential and powerful people by publications such as Time, Esquire, and Fortune. The filmmaker started as a toothbrush manufacturer in the 70s, setting up a cable TV businss in 1981, his first entry in the entertainment world. In 1990, with an investment of just Rs 37,000, he founded UTV, which went on to produce TV shows like Shati and Sea Hawks and films like Swades, Jodhaa Akbar, Fashion, Barfi, Chennai Express and many more. In 2012, he sold his share of the company to Disney for over a billion dollars. In 2014, Screwvala founded RSVP Movies, which has produced films like Uri and Kedarnath among others.
Screwvala also has business interests in UpGrad, Usports, and Unliazer. Together, these businesses with his moviemaking work, makes him the richest filmmaker in India, with a reported net worth of Rs 12,800 crore.
Top 10 richest film producers in India
But while Screwvala sits firmly at the top of the list of richest film producers in India, the top 10 has some big names. Aditya Chopra comes in at number 2 with a reported net worth of around Rs 7500 crore. Arjan and Kishore Lulla of Eros are at number with a joint net worth of around Rs 7400 crore. At number four is Karan Johar (Rs 1700 crore), followed by Gauri Khan (Rs 1600 crore), and Aamir Khan (Rs 1500 crore) at five and six respectively. Other Indian film producers who reportedly have a net worth of over Rs 1000 crore are Sajid Nadiadwala, Bhushan Kumar and Ekta Kapoor.