“Zindagi mein teen cheezein kabhi underestimate nahi karna – I, Me and Myself,” said Salman Khan in his 2011-released movie ‘Ready.’ Interestingly, it seems this dialogue was a silent manifestation that Salman practised way before it came out on the big screen and the universe took notice.

Thus, Bollywood got a superstar who started his journey with the first paycheck of just Rs 75 and today has a net worth of around Rs 2900 crore. Yes, you read that right: the first salary that Salman Khan earned was Rs 75, which he got before he stepped into Bollywood and became a household name.

How did Salman Khan earn his first paycheck?

The ‘Dabanng’ Khan of Bollywood, Salman made his Bollywood debut in 1989, with the movie ‘Biwi Ho Toh Aisi,’ starring Rekha and Farooq Sheikh.

The movie did well, but it wasn’t the one that fetched Salman recognition. The same year, he did Sooraj Barjatya's ‘Maine Pyar Kiya,’ which helped him garner immense love, appreciation and recognition. These are a couple of things that the world already knows about him, but what many perhaps don’t know is that Salman Khan worked as a background dancer before venturing into movies.

"My first salary was, I think, about Rs 75. I was dancing behind in some show in the Taj hotel.

One of my friends was dancing there, so he took me (and I did it) just for fun," he told PTI in an old interview.The journey thus started created history. Salman shared how the amount on his paycheck kept increasing with every project he took. He said, “Then it went up to Rs 750 for Campa Cola (a soft drink brand), and then it was Rs 1,500 for the longest time. Then I got paid Rs 31,000 for Maine Pyar Kiya, which was then increased to Rs 75,000 later."

How much did Salman Khan’s first film ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ earn?

In 1989, 'Maine Pyar Kiya' starring Salman Khan in the lead role with Bhagyashree made Rs 27.50 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk. Its India gross stood at Rs 23 crore, while overseas it collected Rs 4.50 crore. The movie also had Alok Nath, Mohnish Behl, Reema Lagoo and others in pivotal roles.

Salman Khan’s top-grossing movies over the years

Speaking of the box office report card, according to the above-mentioned trade analyst site, here’s a list of Salman Khan’s top-grossing films over the years

What is Salman Khan’s net worth?

With several hit films under his belt, ‘Bigg Boss’ hosting, his lifestyle brand, and more, the ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ actor Salman Khan is worth Rs 2900 crore, according to Financial Express.

The outlet reported that Khan charges Rs 100 crore per movie and earns Rs 250 crore per season of ‘Bigg Boss.’ Meanwhile, the valuation of his lifestyle brand and production house stands at Rs 235 crore.

DISCLAIMER: Figures presented in this article are derived from various public sources and are considered approximate unless explicitly noted. We may include direct input from celebrities or their teams when available. We are open to feedback on [email protected].