Stung by the penniless end of some of Bollywood’s former giants, the new generation of Indian movie stars is turning entrepreneurial much before the limelight dims.
While opening production houses is common among actors and directors, there are many who are into retail, fashion and the hotel industry - and now into the world of cricket, as exemplified by Shah Rukh and Preity Zinta, who have heavily invested in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the richest domestic cricket tournament in the world.
And with IPL, Khan has proved that there are no equals in the Hindi film industry, as his business acumen seems to have overshadowed some of India’s biggest tycoons including Vijaya Mallya (owner of Bangalore Royal Challenge team).
It is reported that Khan has already got the biggest bang out of each penny that he has so far sunk into IPL. Apart from this, Khan's production house - Red Chilies - is striving to emerge as the best in animation and special effects.
He is, perhaps, cautious after India’s biggest star Amitabh Bachchan’s production house folded with losses of Dh81.5 million.
One of the first actors to begin investing in business from the film industry was Mithun Chakraborty who started his own hotel business in south India. Since then, many have followed, including actors like Suniel Shetty and Bobby Deol.
Politics, of course, is another post-retirement career option that is open to actors. But there too, the lifespan seems to be limited and the likes of Govinda, Vinod Khanna, Jayaprada and Hema Malini cannot be blamed for coming back to face the camera while dabbling as people's representatives.
But not all actors are business-savvy. Saif Ali Khan, the current heartthrob of Bollywood, says: "I am not good at business or anything else in life. The only thing I know is acting."
Actresses turn business women
From opening restaurants to starting hotels, actresses are blurring the lines between the worlds of Bollywood and business.
If the men are doing it, then so are the women. While actors like Mithun Chakraborty, Shah Rukh Khan and Suniel Shetty are thriving in the business world, their counterparts Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai and Preity Zinta are giving them some tough competition.
Sushmita was probably the first to turn entrepreneur when she set up her company Sensazione in 2006. Through her company, she plans to open a chain of hotels, lounges and spas.
She has also acquired 12,000 sq ft of space in Kolkata for a "lifestyle zone", which apart from a huge open space will house a nightclub, a restaurant and a cigar lounge.
Second career option
She says frankly that she was tired of being an actor and business had always been a second career option.
"Had I not been an actor, I would have been an entrepreneur. The lounge bar in Kolkata and my dream project, the spa, are all part of my effort to touch people’s lives," the actress has been quoted as saying.
Sushmita has other plans too.
Under the banner of her production house Tantra Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the ex-Miss Universe also wants to make meaningful films. Her first venture is Rani Lakshmi Bai - The Warrior Queen. The actress, who is directing as well as acting in the film, is currently busy with the pre-production work on the historical epic.
Her colleague Preity Zinta has become co-owner of the Mohali cricket team of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with partner Ness Wadia and two others. She is determined to make a go of it and says: "When I do anything in life for the first time, I want to succeed.
"It’s 2008! Women should get more active in business. It’s very different from working on a film where you’re on your own when 'action’ is called on camera. In a boardroom, there’s constant conference and multi-tasking. The creative process is different in both the spheres."
Resurrect
And Aishwarya Rai, according to reports, has stepped in to resurrect father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan’s company AB Corp and is negotiating with filmmakers to restart production work.
Then there is Ayesha Takia, who with restaurateur boyfriend Farhan Azmi is set to launch their first boutique hotel in Goa.
"It’s a dream come true for Farhan and I. We have been planning to do something together for the past year," Ayesha said in a press announcement.
The couple has acquired a 200-year-old Portuguese bungalow in Candolim, which is just 10 minutes away from the beach. They plan to build a luxurious swimming pool, a lounge area and are working out details on how to entertain guests with good music and superb cuisine.
"Each of our boutique hotels will have 20 rooms," Ayesha has said.
Her appreciative boyfriend adds: "Ayesha is interested in doing other things rather than just acting, which is so great."
In 1940, legendary actress Devika Rani tried her hand at business by taking the charge of Bombay Talkies after her husband’s death, but she had to face failure.
Hopefully, the new brigade is set to rewrite the rules.
