Arjun Kapoor
Arjun Kapoor, 29, debuts on our 2014 Forbes India Celebrity 100 list at an impressive 63, considering that he is still a newcomer actor. The son of producer Boney Kapoor, he had two hits this year—2 States and Finding Fanny. Another release Gunday was an above average earner at the box office. Kapoor scored heavily in the fame quotient, while numerous high-profile endorsements added to his earnings.
Sanjay Leela BhansaliThe director of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Black, Guzaarish and most recently Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela debuts at 59. This year, he also produced Mary Kom starring Priyanka Chopra. At present, Bhansali is working on an ambitious historical drama, Bajirao Mastani.
Varun DhawanThe 27-year-old actor, who ranks 65th in the list, starred in Main Tera Hero and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, which were box-office successes. One of the brightest among the young crop of actors, he is also one of the most sought after by marketers. He endorses many top brands and was also roped in as the brand ambassador of club FC Goa in the Indian Super League.
DhanushDhanush’s only release this year, Velaiyilla Pattathari, raked in about Rs 50 crore worldwide, nearly 10 times the budget of the film. The 32-year-old actor-producer, ranked 78th, also kept his cash box ringing with endorsements and distribution rights. He will soon be seen sharing screen space with Amitabh Bachchan in R Balki’s Shamitabh.
Other DebutsArijit Singh (34)
Ajinkya Rahane (38)
AR Murugadoss (39)
Rajinikanth (45)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (46)
Alia Bhatt (53)
Jacqueline Fernandez (62)
Shraddha Kapoor (66)
Anupam Kher (69)
Nargis Fakhri (72)
Allu Arjun (80)
Hema Malini (83)
Sajid Nadiadwala (90)
Anirban Lahiri (91)
Manish Paul (94)
Papa CJ (100)
Images: Arjun, Varun: Sachin Gokhale; Sanjay: Getty Images; Dhanush: Ganesh Lad / Fotocorp
Check out our Festive offers upto Rs.1000/- off website prices on subscriptions + Gift card worth Rs 500/- from Eatbetterco.com. Click here to know more.
(This story appears in the 26 December, 2014 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)