'Has a net worth of around Rs 12,400 crore, still why is Shah Rukh doing this?'

MUMBAI: Shah Rukh Khan, hailed by many as Bollywood's King Khan, has a legion of fans not just in India but across the world. For many foreign countries, Indian cinema means Shah Rukh Khan. Having ruled Bollywood for decades, his net worth is estimated to be around Rs 12,400 crore. Now, renowned YouTuber and journalist Dhruv Rathee has come forward criticising Shah Rukh for endorsing paan masala.

Rathee questioned the actor for appearing in advertisements that promote paan masala. He asked why a billionaire like Shah Rukh needs to endorse such harmful products. “Why would an actor who is so wealthy- someone ordinary Indians can’t even imagine being as rich as- do this?” Rathee asked.

In 2014, Shah Rukh Khan reportedly earned Rs 20 crore for featuring in a paan masala commercial. Based on that, Rathee estimates that over the past ten years, Shah Rukh might have earned around Rs 200 crore from such ads. “Does someone as rich as him really need to make money by promoting a harmful product?” Rathee questioned in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter).

“The real question is this- do you really need that extra Rs 100 to Rs 200 crore? Ask yourself honestly. What are you going to do with so much wealth? And think from another angle. If the country’s biggest actor stopped endorsing such harmful products, imagine what kind of positive impact that would have on society,” Rathee said.