Actors turn entrepreneurs

Apr 20, 2008 Priyanka Khanna



Actors turning entrepreneurs is an emerging trend. Stung by the penniless end of some of Bollywood's former giants, the new generation of Indian movie stars is turning entrepreneurial must before the limelight dims.


While opening production houses is common among most actors and directors, there are many who are into retail, fashion and 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.


Apart from this, Shah Rukh'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 Rs.900 million.


One of the first few actors who began investing in business apart from the film industry was Mithun Chakraborty who started his own hotel business in south India. Since Mithun, many have followed including actors like Suniel Shetty and Bobby Deol.


Among the ladies, former Miss World and Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen has also launched her own company with plans to make movies and enter the hotel and health spa industry.


Politics, off 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 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." Fortunately for him, he seems set to become a rocker as well but for others hope they are watching Khan carefully.



Sushmita Sen Pictures

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