Salman Khan, who is raking in crores at the box office, says he started his journey with Rs 75 as salary

He is one of the highest paid actors today but superstar Salman Khan reveals his first-ever salary was merely Rs 75. Salman occupied the second spot on Forbes list of the ‘Highest Paid Actors in Bollywood’ for the year 2017. He also became the highest paid TV actor with reports suggesting that he is getting Rs 11 crore per episode for hosting the 11th season of reality show Bigg Boss. While the 51-year-old actor is yet to comment on the reports, he remembers what he was paid during his initial days.

In an interview, Salman says, “My first salary was, I think, about Rs 75. I was dancing behind in some show in Taj hotel. One of my friends was dancing there so he took me (and I did it) just for fun. Then it went up to Rs 750 for Campa Cola and then it was Rs 1,500 for the longest time. Then I got paid Rs 31,000 for Maine Pyaar Kiya, which was then increased to Rs 75,000 later.”

Salman has often said he will not be hosting the show and yet keeps coming back to it every season, reason being – its format. “I really like the format. Even though I complain about it on Fridays and Saturdays, but I enjoy it. I get to learn a lot. I get to learn how to react or not react a certain way. There is nothing else that I am interested in doing, this is one of the better shows that I have. There are other really good shows but I don’t think they are of my format,” he adds.

Salman says he needs shows which have a connect with “common people” to be a part of. “Even Dus Ka Dum (a reality game show) worked well for me. I need that vibe, that touch with different personalities, with common man. I need that (grassroots) connect. Till the time I don’t have a connect, I don’t think I can pull anything off,” he said.

While Salman is gearing up to host the reality show’s 11th season, his besties Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar will also be seen

hosting TED Talks and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge respectively. “They are amazing. Shah Rukh is a great host. Akshay is also good, he has a good comic timing, he is very witty. Shah Rukh has his own personality, his own swag, style, charisma. So I think it is going to be quite a tough competition this time,” Salman told reporters, before quickly quipping, “For them.”