With an increasing number of startups in India, many actors, along with proving their acting mettle, are also turning into angel investors. Some actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar are already running multi-crore businesses.
But many more from the current and older generation of actors are increasingly investing, collaborating or establishing newer businesses.
Let’s take a look at some of them, who are excelling in business too.
1. Shefali Shah
The very talented actress Shefali Shah is a restauranteur too. She entered the hospitality industry, with ‘Jalsa’, a lavish, theme-based buffet restaurant in Ahmedabad, in collaboration with hospitality industry veteran Neha Bassi.
She terms ‘Jalsa’ as an experience, rather than just another eatery, with fun elements like astrologers, carnival games, and even henna artists.
2. Malaika Arora
Being the conscious and healthy eater that she is, Malaika Arora started her venture ‘Nude Bowls’ during the pandemic. While the name sounds a bit daring, it is an acronym for ‘Nutritious, Undisguised, Delicious Eats’
Offerings from Nude bowls are available on the Eatsure App in select cities, and Malaika is in talks to expand the food service to other cities too.
3. Richa Chaddha and Ali Fazal
The couple of Bollywood, Ali Fazal and Richa Chaddha launched their own production house ‘Pushing buttons’ in 2021. And the first production from their venture ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ made the right noise in many international film markets.
Teaming with Shuchi Talati, the couple is creating a first-of-its-kind incubation program called ‘Undercurrent Lab’, exclusively for women aspiring to become cinematographers in the film industry. It is a joint venture with Women in Film and Television Association, India, and Light N Light.
4. Abhishek Bannerjee
Abhishek Bannerjee who is known for his roles in Stree, Rashmi Rocket, and the acclaimed web series Paatal Lok is a casting director too.
And in collaboration with Shwetabh Singh, he launched ‘Freaks’, a production house aiming to provide struggling artists a chance to prove their mettle.
5. Kriti Sanon
Kriti Sanon started her fitness startup ‘The Tribe’ with three others. It offers customized nutrition plans and training workshops.
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6. Varun Dhawan
Recently, Varun Dhawan has invested in cloud kitchen aggregator Curefoods. He has also made an undisclosed amount of investment in Fast&Up, a nutraceuticals, and immunity-boosting supplements manufacturer.
7. Rakul Preet Singh
The pretty actress along with her brother started “Starring You’, an app through which struggling actors can audition for roles and showcase their talent.
She also made her first investment in D2C health and nutrition startup Wellbeing Nutrition and is the brand ambassador for the same. She has partnered with Disney to launch organic vitamins, probiotics, and omega supplements for children.
8. Pankaj Tripathi
The Mirzapur actor has invested an undisclosed amount in AI-based agritech startup Krishi network.
9. Ayushmann Khurana
Singer and actor Ayushmann Khurana has invested in Gurugram based grooming startup ‘The Man Company’. The startup offers total solutions to men’s grooming needs across various categories.
10. Rashmika Mandanna
The popular south actress soon to make her debut in Bollywood, is also addressed as the national crush of India. She has invested in D2C vegan startup Plum, which offers an array of products in skin, hair, men’s, personal care, and makeup categories.
Sources:
https://inc42.com/features/18-bollywood-actors-betting-on-indian-startups/