Actors of the Indian Film fraternity are known to have multiple talents. From giving a blockbuster to starting their own enterprise, these actors have done everything in order to enhance their net worth. We bring to you 9 such celebrities who have made their name beyond cinema.
1. Sonu Sood
This year, the hidden superman of our industry, Sonu Sood has launched another initiative to offer quality healthcare accessible to all in need. The initiative, called 'Ilaaj India' is basically a helpline number developed by Ketto.org, Asia's most visited and trusted crowdfunding platform with the aim to support paediatric patients with medical care and treatment.
2. Richa Chadha & Ali Fazal
One of the most celebrated and successful couples in Bollywood, Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha started their own production house Pushing Buttons last year. Their maiden project as producers is called 'Girls Will Be Girls', and it is gathering all the right kind of attention in the international film market. She, along with Ali Fazal and director Shuchi Talati are setting up a first-of-its-kind incubation programme for women who hope to work as gaffers and cinematographers in the film industry. The programme, called ‘Undercurrent Lab' is a joint partnership between the Women in Film and Television Association, India (WIFT) and 'Light N Light'.
3. Shefali Shah
Those who follow Shefali Shah on social media know that she loves cooking and feeding her circle of relatives and social circle. She loves being a bunch and likewise likes designing areas. So when she considered beginning a hospitality trade in 2021, she noticed it as a cumulative alternative to monetise from what she has been doing without spending a dime and out of her personal liking. This led to the birth of 'Jalsa' in Ahmedabad. This venture is proving to be extremely successful for the actor and is now more than just a side business for her. Kudos to that!
4. Sunny Leone
Internet's most searched celebrity; Sunny Leone also tried her hand at entrepreneurship in 2021 with NFTs or non-fungible tokens (NFT) marketplace. Her new side business is doing extremely well, which only goes on to prove that she is truly a multi-talented woman!
5. Rakul Preet Singh
After gaining immense popularity in Punjabi cinema, Rakul has been well established in the Hindi film industry as well! But little did you all know, even Rakul was bit by the entrepreneurial bug this year. She along with her brother, Aman Preet Singh started this app called 'starrring you' which gives struggling actors a chance to showcase their talent and subsequently start getting acting jobs as per them. Interesting, right?
6. Malaika Arora
Malaila Arora started her own delivery-only food service called 'Nude bowls' in 2021. She got this idea during the pandemic and quickly acted upon it just to give it a shot. Fortunately, from that day on, this start-up has only seen an upward trend in everything. We wish Malaika and her team a very successful entrepreneurial journey ahead!
7. Abhishek Banarjee
Abhishek Banarjee has made a mark for himself by managing to get noticed in small but significant roles in OTT shows and movies before he started getting his fair share of lead roles. Recently, Shwetaab Singh joined hands for their production house called 'Freaks' with the aim of giving struggling artists a better chance of getting an acting job.
8. Deepika Padukone
The queen of bollywood, Deepika Padukone is all set to launch her own lifestyle brand in 2022. Starting with hair skin care products, her company will focus on natural remedies instead of using chemicals. This indeed is an idea worth the time of anyone who is looking to invest in a lucrative business. We wish her all the best!
9. Alia Bhatt
Seems like Alia Bhatt too has a knack for business. She has recently announced her investment in 'Phool.co', an IIT Kanpur based company. It is focused on the circular economy which converts floral waste into charcoal free luxury incense products and other wellness products. Now that's definitely something to look forward to. Kudos Alia!