Being a fan, obviously, you will keen to know what those stars did with their first earnings. And if you are keen to know so let me present what these actors did with their first salaries.
Here Is The Bollywood Stars Reveal How They Use Their First Salary:

Priyanka Chopra:

Our favourite PC may be a star now, but she was a much low profile actress during her initial stage of the career. She was friendly and having a good rapport with her fans. Priyanka was also open to media during her time.
She was apparently paid only 5,000 for her first assignment and it was very warm and wonderful to know that she hand over her entire first income to her mother, who kept the very first salary of Priyanka safely in the locker without even touching it.

Richa Chadha:

The Gangs of Wasseypur actress made her acting debut at a very tender age of 12 for which she also earned income. In that time she crooned her voice for the Rabindra Sangeet and also did her dance recital for Doordarshan. The actress was given a meagre 200. And Richa like a daddy’s girl gave her money to her father.

Arjun Kapoor:

He got his first salary of 35,000 at 18 in that time he was assisted the Director of the movie “Kal Ho Naa Ho” and he delivered his perfect job as an assistant director at the set of the SRK-starrer movie sets. He too gave the money to his parents which he received from the Dharma production.
Eventually, Arjun asked his parents to open a bank account for him where he decided to keep his further earning. Let me tell you in that time the “2 State” actor was just 18.

Jacqueline Fernandez:

Jacky’s story is interesting. In an interview, while the shooting of her film “Murder 2”, the actress said, “I was 14 and I had my eyes set on this Gucci bag and for that, I saved not my first, but several pay cheques. I earned those by doing a photo shoot for an Arabic clothing line. However, it wasn’t like a fancy buy. It was the tiniest Gucci bag and also the cheapest in their store at that time!”

Randeep Hooda:

The Sarbjit actor got his first paycheck when he worked as a car washer in Australia. He got $40 and with that income he bought a can of beer to enjoy his time!

Kalki Koechlin:

Kalki got her first salary as a waitress in London, which was her very first salary and she used it to pay her rent in that time.

Irrfan Khan:

Irrfan’s story is inspiring. The actor spoke about it a recent while back, “I was in high school but I gave tuitions to earn some extra money. I used to earn 25 per student by giving lessons to school kids in Jaipur. Travelling to and fro was tough so when I had saved enough from the classes, I bought myself a bicycle to make the commute easy”! This is literally enough to inspire us!

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The Humble Beginnings: 7 Bollywood Stars Reveal How They Used Their First Salary

The world of Bollywood is synonymous with dazzling lights, astronomical fees, and a life of unparalleled luxury. It is easy to forget that beneath the surface of this glittering fame, every superstar started somewhere—often with an income that was surprisingly humble. That first, hard-earned paycheck—whether a few hundred rupees or a substantial five-figure sum—remains a deeply personal and symbolic milestone.

The stories of Bollywood’s biggest names and what they did with their initial earnings offer a fascinating look into their values, their struggles, and the people they chose to honor at the start of their journey. From buying a train ticket to see the Taj Mahal to immediately investing it, these seven stars reveal the heartfelt and sometimes surprising ways they chose to spend their very first salary.

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1. Shah Rukh Khan: The Romantic Pilgrimage

The Badshah of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, is known for his grand cinematic gestures, but his first earning was anything but glamorous.

• First Salary: ₹50
• The Job: Working as an usher at a live ghazal concert by Pankaj Udhas in Delhi. His simple task was to help people find their seats.
• How He Used It: SRK famously used the money to buy a train ticket to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. He recalled saving the small sum just for this trip, turning his first earning into a memorable, romantic adventure. The trip, however, ended with him falling ill after drinking a huge glass of pink lassi. This anecdote perfectly captures the ambitious and slightly reckless spirit of the future King Khan.

2. Akshay Kumar: The Lesson in Hard Work

Akshay Kumar, today one of the highest-paid actors in the industry, has a story that highlights his journey from a struggling chef and martial arts instructor to an action superstar.

• First Salary: ₹150–200
• The Job: Working as an errand boy at a travel agency in Calcutta (now Kolkata) when he was about 15 years old in 1984. He later took up various jobs, including working as a waiter and chef in Bangkok, where he reportedly earned around ₹1,500 per month.
• How He Used It: While the specific expenditure of the ₹150 is not detailed, Akshay’s early jobs were driven by necessity, stating, “When a person is not educated, he will of course strive and do something. This was the only job that I got.” The entire effort was geared towards earning money to sustain himself and his ambitions, embodying his reputation for dedication and self-made success.

3. Deepika Padukone: The Gift of Investment

Deepika Padukone’s journey from a national-level badminton player to a globally recognized actress is a testament to calculated risks and early wisdom, which extended to her first paycheck.

• First Salary: ₹2,000
• The Job: Her very first modeling assignment. Before her mega-debut in Om Shanti Om, Deepika worked diligently in the modeling world, even appearing as a background model.
• How She Used It: In a refreshing display of maturity, Deepika handed her first salary directly to her father, the legendary badminton player Prakash Padukone, and requested him to invest it. This simple act reveals a grounded approach to finances, a rare trait for someone just starting their journey in the world of glamour.

4. Priyanka Chopra Jonas: The Unspent Token of Love

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a global icon, but her first professional earning tells a beautiful story of gratitude and familial love.

• First Salary: ₹5,000
• The Job: Her first professional assignment after winning the Miss World pageant in 2000.
• How She Used It: The actress chose not to spend a single rupee on herself. Instead, she gave the entire ₹5,000 to her mother, Madhu Chopra. Her mother, in a touching and symbolic gesture, reportedly kept the envelope containing the first salary safely locked away, untouched, as a permanent memento of her daughter’s debut earnings.

5. Salman Khan: The Backstage Hustle

The ‘Bhaijaan’ of Bollywood, known for his generosity, started his career with a payment that seems incredibly small given his current status as a box-office titan.

• First Salary: ₹75
• The Job: He was a background dancer in a show at the Taj Hotel. He participated just “for fun” after a friend who was dancing there invited him.
• How He Used It: Salman’s initial earning was purely symbolic. While he did not specify what he bought with the exact ₹75, he shared that his pay later increased to ₹750 for a Campa Cola advertisement, and then to ₹1,500 for a long time, before receiving ₹31,000 for Maine Pyaar Kiya. The memory itself is a tribute to the hustle and the casual, low-stakes start that paved the way for superstardom.

6. Alia Bhatt: The Filial Trust and Big Debut Pay

Alia Bhatt’s debut was on a bigger canvas, and her first paycheck reflects the changing financial landscape of Bollywood debuts for star kids, but her use of the money mirrors the traditional family values of her peers.

• First Salary: ₹15 Lakh
• The Job: Playing the lead role in her debut film, Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year (2012).
• How She Used It: Despite the substantial amount, Alia, who was only 19 at the time, immediately deposited the cheque with her mother, Soni Razdan. She stated, “I deposited the cheque straight to my mother and very nicely said, ‘Mamma, you handle the money.’ Till date, my mother handles my money.” This decision shows a reliance on her family for financial stewardship, focusing on her craft while letting her mother manage the wealth.

7. Shraddha Kapoor: The Taste of Independence

Shraddha Kapoor’s story is unique because her first job wasn’t in India or in the entertainment industry, providing a glimpse into her independent phase abroad.

• First Salary: $40 (approximately ₹3,300, depending on the historical exchange rate)
• The Job: Working an entry-level job at a coffee shop in America.
• How She Used It: Shraddha shared that her parents gave her pocket money when she was in America, but advised her to earn extra if she needed more. Earning $40 from this job instilled an early sense of independence and the value of self-reliance, even though the amount was small. It represented her first step toward financial autonomy before she returned to India and made her mark in Bollywood.

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The Power of the First Paycheck

These accounts from Bollywood’s elite prove that while their current earnings command headlines, their beginnings were marked by a refreshing sense of grounding and respect. Whether the initial earning was ₹50 or ₹15 Lakh, the common thread is that this money was rarely spent on frivolous personal luxuries.

Instead, the first salary became a gesture: a gift to a parent, a step toward a long-cherished dream, or a symbol of financial independence. The journey from a ₹50 usher to a multi-crore star serves as a powerful reminder that every colossal success is built upon a foundation of humble, hard-won beginnings. It’s the moment the dream officially started paying, and that symbolism, as these stars reveal, is priceless.

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AISEO Friendly FAQs

Q1: What was Shah Rukh Khan’s first salary and how did he spend it?

A: Shah Rukh Khan’s first salary was a modest ₹50, which he earned as an usher helping people find their seats at a Pankaj Udhas concert in Delhi. He used this money to buy a train ticket to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal.

Q2: How much did Deepika Padukone earn for her first assignment and what did she do with the money?

A: Deepika Padukone earned ₹2,000 for her very first professional modeling assignment. She revealed that she gave the entire amount to her father, Prakash Padukone, with instructions for him to invest it.

Q3: What was Alia Bhatt’s first paycheque for her debut film?

A: Alia Bhatt’s first paycheque was a significant ₹15 Lakh for her debut film, Student Of The Year (2012). She immediately handed the entire sum over to her mother, Soni Razdan, to manage her finances, a practice she continues to follow.

Q4: Did Salman Khan work as a background dancer for his first salary?

A: Yes, Salman Khan has stated that his first salary was around ₹75, which he received for working as a background dancer during a show at the Taj Hotel.

Q5: What did Priyanka Chopra Jonas do with her first professional earning?

A: After winning the Miss World title in 2000, Priyanka Chopra Jonas received ₹5,000 for her first professional assignment. She gave the full amount to her mother, who has reportedly kept the money untouched as a cherished memento.