Jitendra Kumar highest-paid actor on 'Panchayat 3'? Actor addresses 'rumors'
What's the story
Jitendra Kumar, who recently reprised his role as Abhishek Tripathi in the third season of the popular Amazon Prime Video series Panchayat, has responded to rumors about his salary.
The comedy-drama series, which premiered in May, has been a massive hit. There were reports that Kumar was the highest-paid actor on the show, allegedly earning ₹70K per episode.
However, the actor has now broken his silence on this matter.
Actor's statement
'I think discussing somebody's salary is really unfair': Kumar
In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Kumar said, "Well, I think discussing somebody's salary and financial matters is really unfair."
"Nothing good comes out of the discussion, and it's not even fruitful. So, I think one should avoid falling for any such rumors, they should not be a thing."
The actor, however, did not confirm or deny the reports.
If salary rumors are true, with Season 3 comprising eight episodes, Kumar pocketed ₹5.6 lakh.
Career impact
Kumar's career and personal life post 'Panchayat'
Kumar, known for his roles in TVF Pitchers, Kota Factory, and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, has credited Panchayat for opening new doors in his career.
"As an actor, when your show becomes such a massive hit...it comes with more opportunities to better films, and work with interesting filmmakers."
When asked if success led to changes in personal life, the actor said, "Not much has changed. I have just (introduced) minimal changes in my life to make it more comfortable."
Salaries
Meanwhile, here's how much Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav earned
Neena Gupta, reprising her role as Manju Devi, was reported as the second highest-paid actor on Panchayat 3. She reportedly asked for ₹50K per episode, totaling an estimated ₹4 lakh for the full season.
Following Gupta on the pay scale is Raghubir Yadav who returned as Pradhan Ji or Manju Devi's husband.
Yadav was paid ₹40K per episode, amounting to a total of ₹3.2 lakh for this season.
About the show
Know more about 'Panchayat 3' cast and plot
Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra and written by Chandan Kumar, Panchayat follows the life of Abhishek, an engineering graduate who becomes a panchayat office secretary in a remote village in Uttar Pradesh due to a lack of better job opportunities.
The show also features Durgesh, Yadav, and Faisal Malik, in prominent roles.
The third season was released on Amazon Prime Video on May 28.