Ash netting a crore a month in ads

The going might not seem to be good for Aishwarya Rai, who has recently lost contracts with Coca Cola, Nakshatra Diamonds and L’Oreal, but don’t be too worried about the Bollywood beauty’s bank balance yet. Her global face still makes sure she’s raking in nearly Rs.12 crore a year in endorsements. Ash paid Rs 4.7 crore in taxes last year, but had no major released. This means that her income, estimated at Rs 20 crore before deductions, was mainly from advertising.

ASH started young in the ad business. She was only in the 9th standard when she got her first break in an advert for Camlin. Since then, she’s bagged prestigious contracts world over- she’s been associated with luxury Swiss brand Longines and international brand Lux for a decade now.

“Aishwarya has been associated with us since 1999 and it is a big help. Not only in this country but also globally,” said Charles Villoz, Vice President (sales) of Longines International, in an interview.

Major factors contributing to Ash’s selling power is her recognition abroad too. In 2004, she was chosen by Time magazine as one of the world's ‘100 Most Influential People’ and as early as October 2004, a wax figure of Rai was put on display in London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum.

Aishwarya is also the only Indian actress to have have a footing, however tenuous, in Hollywood. She’s gained prominence by acting in movies such as Mistress Of Spices, Provoked, The Last Legion and Pink Panther2. Though none of these movies was a hit, the fact that Hollywood keeps returning to her means something.

Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar throws light on Aishwarya’s endorsement success, saying, “She has a striking list of international brands and that’s because she is not just an actress who can be judged on hits and flops, but she is the representative of Indian woman and is an ambassador of the country.”

As for the actress, she once said about her many ad deals in an interview, “Whether it is films or endorsements, I am very selective about my work. I take up work that suits me and fits in my schedule. It’s very difficult for me to take the projects if I am not able to fulfill the commitments.”

Ash’s ads so far:

• She has done a Rupa Cosmetics commercial, a Sheetal Bridal Wear commercial and Colgate Palmolive commercial in 1996.

• In 2001, Ash appeared in a Coca Cola ad with Hrithik Roshan and later with Vivek Oberoi in 2003. She was also in a Fujifilms commercial.

• She has been a brand ambassador for L’Oreal since 2003 and now she will endorse products for women above thirty whereas Sonam Kapoor will be seen representing the younger generation - she has not been replaced completely.

• Aishwarya also endorsed Nakshatra Diamonds since 2001, until she was replaced by Katrina Kaif in 2008.