Each year, clubs compete to outdo one another — and bringing in the biggest stars is a matter of prestige. Fans crowd pandals to get a glimpse of their favourite screen icons, and naturally, the bigger the name, the bigger the cheque. This year too, Tollywood’s A-listers are raking in hefty fees. Koel Mallick continues her reign as the Puja queen, reportedly charging a cool ₹5 lakh per appearance. Not far behind, Prosenjit Chatterjee and Dev command around ₹3 lakh each, while Subhashree Ganguly matches that mark with her own star power. Mimi Chakraborty, Srabanti, Ankush and others round off the list with fees ranging from ₹1.5 to ₹2.5 lakh.
But it’s not just the big screen stars stealing the spotlight. Small screen celebrities — the ones we welcome into our homes every evening — are also high in demand. Their popularity often rivals that of film stars, especially when their shows dominate TRP charts. Clubs start scouting for TV stars months in advance, and some actors even attend multiple inaugurations a day.
So what’s the going rate for your favorite TV faces? ‘Jagaddhatri’ star Ankita Mallick reportedly charges around ₹50,000–₹55,000, while ‘Katha’ actress Sushmita Dey clocks in at ₹40,000–₹45,000. Saheb Bhattacharya and Rajnandini Dutta are both priced around ₹70,000, while the much-loved pair Ditipriya Roy and Jeetu Kamal go for a combined ₹1 lakh. Others like Swastika Dutta, Pallavi Sharma, and Shubhashmita Mukherjee hover around the ₹40,000–₹50,000 mark.
With this year’s bookings nearly full, the Puja inauguration calendar is packed. But if you're planning a star-studded start to next year’s festivities, the time to start is now. After all, in today’s Pujo — it’s not just about the goddess, it’s also about the guest list.
