Bollywood, the heart of India’s film industry, has long been filled with glamour, talent, and stardom. However, in recent years, many of its brightest stars have ventured beyond the silver screen, transforming their fame into flourishing business empires. These celebrities have employed their popularity, creativity, and business insights to establish themselves as successful entrepreneurs. From launching fashion lines and beauty brands to investing in tech startups, Bollywood celebrities have expanded their portfolios and impacted various industries. Their entrepreneurial journeys are not just tales of capitalizing on fame; they are stories of innovation, resilience, and a keen understanding of market dynamics.
The transition from reel to real-life entrepreneurship demonstrates the talents of Bollywood celebrities. Their success stories are an inspiration, illustrating how passion, hard work, and a strategic mindset can lead to achievement. As these stars continue to shine in the business world, they pave the way for future generations to dream big and venture into diverse avenues, reinforcing that stardom and entrepreneurship can go hand in hand.
Here’s the list of Bollywood celebrities who have turned into successful entrepreneurs.
1- Priyanka Chopra
Bollywood’s desi Girl Priyanka Chopra from opening a popular New York restaurant Sona to launching haircare brand Anomaly and she earned £429 million in 2022, Mrs Jonas has proved her entrepreneurial skills. The actress also collaborated with sparkling water brand BON V! V Spiked Seltzer to create a new flavour in mid-April 2021 across the US. Her haircare brand Anomaly offers liquid and dry shampoo to deep-conditioning masks and conditioners, that are vegan and cruelty-free products for shine, smoothening and volume.
2- Shilpa Shetty
The B’town diva has transformed into an ambitious businesswoman who’s rolling out multiple business ventures. Bastian At The Top graces on the 48th floor of Mumbai’s tallest commercial building. The restaurant, owned by the esteemed actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra, promises an elevated dining experience. Another milestone in the business world was the launch of her spa and wellness chain IOSIS in 2009, plus her joint venture with Vandana Luthra’s VLCC to offer yoga and physiotherapy services in India and other Asian countries.
3-Alia Bhatt
Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt has always been investing in startups. In 2013, the actress started a startup called Style Cracker to style people. Apart from this, in 2020, Alia began her new company named Ad-E-Mamma and today earns Rs 150 crore, a kid’s fashion brand that has items for kids aged 4-12 years.
4- Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar, often acclaimed as Bollywood’s ‘Khiladi,’ transcends mere acting skill, embodying the role of a businessman. Akshay Kumar got into the business by joining hands with his mother, Aruna, and wife Twinkle Khanna, the actor launched Hari Om Productions, named after his father. The actor is a vocal activist for the importance of sports and fitness so he converted his passion into business, investing in the Khalsa Warriors team in the World Kabaddi League.
5- Anushka Sharma
Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma has started a clothing line named Nush and she earns Rs 65 crores, reflects who she is as a person in fashion and offers a feeling-good clothing line, perfect for all summer girlies. Apart from this, Anushka and her brother have also started a clean-slate film production house and earn Rs 444 crores. Films like NH10, Phillauri and Pari, Bulbul, and Qala have been produced far from this production house. The web series Paatal Lok of this production was also well-received by the audience. Anushka Sharma invested in the D2C snack brand Slurrp Farm.
6- Katrina Kaif
Katrina Kaif is a well-known actress and successful businesswoman. She launched her beauty brand in the year 2019 named ‘Kay Beauty’. For this, the actress has tied up with the makeup brand Nykaa. Katrina’s makeup brand is well-liked. Her brand wasn’t just about makeup; it was a statement empowering women, encouraging them to embrace confidence and accepting their inner beauty. Kay Beauty has a yearly revenue of around USD 12 million approx.
7- Parineeti Chopra
Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra has joined health and personal care startup Clensta as an investor and partner. Chopra expressed her positive gratitude for her new venture. Clensta’s groundbreaking offerings such as unique waterless bathing and shampooing, emphasise their innovative and unseen nature in the market. Parineeti Chopra’s investment in Clensta showcases her desire to contribute to ventures aligned with her vision.
8- Sonam Kapoor
Conceived and creatively started by Sonam and Rhea Kapoor, Rheson is all about accessible glamour – aspirational, but never intimidating. An urban Indian girl’s reinterpretation of the global fashion scene, the brand focuses on quality fabrics and wearable styles.
9- Sonakshi Sinha
Sonakshi Sinha launched her press-on nail brand Soezi in collaboration with Srishti Raai, catering to women and young teens with a quirky and sassy collection of nail art. SOEZI has press-on nails in every length, shape, colour, and effect, and for every occasion. Every nail enthusiast offers a customizable feature, which allows you to personalize each press-on nail based on its shape (almond, coffin, round, stiletto) and length (long, medium, and short) at no additional cost.
10- Deepika Padukone
Founded by Versatile actress Deepika Padukone, along with Jigar Shah 82°E the Mumbai-based brand provides a broad range of skincare products for both men and women. The company last raised $7.5 million in a funding round led by DSG Consumer Partners and Ideo Ventures along with Ka Enterprises in December 2022.
Some Bollywood actors were seen dancing at Anant Ambani and Radhik Merchant’s Pre-Wedding festivities and charged prominence fees. The event also featured a legendary performance by Bollywood’s three Khans – Shah Rukh, Aamir, and Salman, who joined forces for an iconic act. Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone showcased their dandiya skills.
Bollywood celebrities are proving to be multi-talented, going beyond just acting. Many have successfully ventured into entrepreneurship, launching businesses in diverse areas like fashion, food, and event management. This shift showcases their business sense and drive, and inspires others to pursue their passions outside of entertainment. Their success also strengthens the Bollywood brand by showing the creativity and talent of its stars extend beyond the silver screen.
