Navratri: How much celebrities earn during festivities

With the Navratri festival in full swing, garba enthusiasts across the country are gearing up to dress in their colourful costumes, grab the dandiya sticks and head to their nearest pandals. This nine days long revelry is one of the most awaited time of the year when youngsters get a chance to show off their dance moves, meet new people, dress in their Sunday best and catch a glimpse of their favourite stars. This is also a time when celebrities get a chance to rake in moolah. While some stars attend these Navratri events to promote their films, there are many who make some big bucks by 'fleeting appearances' at these pandals. Let us have a look at the stars who come and attend these festivities…

Drashti Dhami: The Madhubala of Indian television and the winner of last year's Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Drashti Dhami is one of the most popular faces in dandiya pandals. Not only is she beautiful and has a huge fan following but being a Gujarati she is well-versed with the garba dance form and identifies with the significance of the festival. She reportedly charges 4.5 lakh- 5 lakh for a single appearance.

Mohit Raina and Hina Khan: While he is the quintessential TV hottie who plays the role of Lord Shiva with perfection, Hina Khan is the gorgeous daughter-in-law of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. They both are extremely popular among the audience and are often spotted at the dandiya events. A DNA report of 2013 says that both Mohit (Mahadev) and Hina (Akshara) charge Rs 2-3 lakhs. However, this is just for one appearance or a performance. Though these are estimated figures of last year, we are sure that this year they might be getting a higher amount. It would be indeed a delight to see them dance to the latest garba beats.

Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar: They stole our hearts as the perfect couple in Ekta Kapoor’s Bade Achhe Lagte Hain and we are sure they would be a hit at dandiya pandals too. Considered as the power couple of television, Ram and Sakshi are extremely popular among the audience and enjoy an immense fan following. A TOI report dated October 2012 says that senior TV actors like Ram Kapoor, Ronit Roy and Sakshi Tanwar demand 7 lakh and 10 lakh if they attend a Navratri event. When these stars visit the venue, they are expected to pose for pictures, wave at the crowds, dance a bit and interact with fans on stage. They bring in the necessary glamour in these events.

Siddharth Shukla: This tall, fair and handsome ‘Shiv’ of Balika Vadhu fame wowed us with his performance in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. He is considered as one of the most attractive heroes of television and made a recent debut in Bollywood with the Karan Johar movie. The actor reportedly charges up to Rs 5 lakh for an appearance in these dandiya events. It is said that his fans were very excited to see him on stage and he was gracious enough to pose with his fans.

Jennifer Winget and Karan Singh Grover: The two most glamorous stars of television broke many hearts when they got married in 2012. However, we think they make a very handsome couple and are completely made for each other. Like other popular TV actors in demand during the Navratri festivities, Jennifer and Karan are also invited to be a part of garba festivities. A TOI report dated 2013 says they charge anything between Rs 4 lakh to 4.5 lakh for a single appearance. However, we are not sure if they charge this individually or that is what they charge to make an appearance as a couple. Their chemistry will surely light up the dandiya pandals and will make the ambiance more romantic. What say?

Falguni Pathak: She is rightly called the Dandiya Queen as she has a melodious voice and can charge up the atmosphere by belting out her hit dandiya numbers. She is a regular in these dandiya events and is very popular among audience. However, a Mid-Day report says that Falguni will perform in Goregaon and that too will get Rs 50 lakh less than what she took home in 2013. The Mid-Day report adds that she has been hired by Wizcraft for Rs 1.5 crore for the nine nights. Well we sure know she will be a super success at Goregaon. What say?

Sonu Nigam: When it comes to organising pandals and garba nights, organisers operate on a simple mantra and that is to get singers at the venue, and the crowds will follow. Sonu is one of the most popular singers of today and has a huge fan following. It is said several event management companies and organisers prefer to call singers as they can sing as well as entertain the audience. Hence, singers like Sonu Nigam, Falguni Pathak, Daler Mehndi and Mika are very popular and reportedly get a huge amount if they perform at all nine nights. Well we sure that having them would make sure the dandiya nights will indeed be a rocking affair.