Here's how much our Bollywood singers earn during Navratri

Go green! This is how much money popular and not-so-popular singers rake in to make Navratri revellers dance to their tunes

What's a festival without some singing and dancing? Garba enthuiasts across the country are swinging to traditional dandiya tunes as well as Bollywood dance numbers. This is also the time when celebrities rake in big money with event organisers competing with each other to get popular celebrities to perform live in various parts of the country.

"Organisers begin pursuing singers and actors at least two months prior to Navratri. Most artistes are invited on the eighth or ninth day of the festival. Only a handful of them show interest to perform in Mumbai since the they are requested to do it for free," adds an industry source.

As the Navratri fervour reaches a crescendo, hitlist brings you a list of singers and their approximate fee.

Prajakta Shukre

Rs 3-4 lakh per night
Lowdown: After participating in the first season of 'Indian Idol' (2004), Prajakta got a playback singing opportunity in Bollywood film Shaadi No.1 and has lent her voice to a few other filmi tracks, including 'Happy Ending' from 'Tees Maar Khan' (2010).
Where: Indore (one night)

Himesh Reshammiya

Rs 30-35 lakh per night
Lowdown: His nasal voice notwithstanding, most of Himesh's Bollywood compositions have been a hit with music lovers. Much like last year, his 'Photocopy Pan Chalse' number from 'Jai Ho' (2014) is a rage this Navratri too.
Where: Kolkata and Asansol (one night in each city)

Kumar Sanu

Rs 15 lakh per night
Lowdown: The popular '90s singer is highly sought-after in his hometown, Kolkata during festivals and private parties.
Where: Kolkata (two nights)

Bhoomi Trivedi

Rs 40 lakh for nine nights (includes fee of entire band)
Lowdown: The 'Ram-Leela' singer is quite active in Gujarati film industry, making her a go-to celeb for garba events.
Where: Mumbai

Mika Singh

Rs 30-35lakh per night
Lowdown: Pick any of his songs and you are sure to get grooving. Mika is the man for all seasons, not just Navratri.
Where: Delhi (one night)

Rahul Vaidya

Rs 15-20 lakh per night
Lowdown: A reality show find, Rahul is in demand during the festive season given the ease with which he croons traditional Gujarati songs.
Where: Delhi and Ranchi (one night in each city)

Neha Kakkar

Rs 15lakh per night
Lowdown: The 'London Thumakda' singer is known to set the set on fire with her husky voice and sensuous moves.
Where: Delhi (one night)

Mauli Dave

Rs 30lakh for nine nights (includes fee of entire band)
Lowdown: The 'Maa Ka Phone Aaya' co-singer is often called "Indian Shakira" for giving desi songs a Western twist.
Where: Mumbai

Udit Narayan

Rs 10lakh per night
Lowdown: He may no longer be besieged by Bollywood, but remains one of the top rated performers for special occasions.
Where: Kolkata (two nights)

Ankit Tiwari

Rs 10-15 lakh per night
Lowdown: He recently performed with his band and his playlist included 'Sun Raha Hai Na Tu' ('Aashiqui 2') and 'Galliyan' ('Ek Villain').
Where: Mumbai (one night)

All figures are approximate

Show does not go on

Bollywood singer Divya Kumar's Navratri show at the Somaiya College ground came to an abrupt end on Monday evening following a financial dispute between organisers. Kumar, who has lent his voice to recent songs like 'Jee Karda' ('Badlapur') and 'G Phaad Ke' ('Happy Ending'), was supposed to perform on all nine days of the festival (October 13-21) after his fiancée, Ankita Jhunjhunwala allegedly failed to get adequate sponsors on board.

Divya Kumar

Pradeep Jaiswal, co-founder of Caravan Events which organised the show, claims his company has suffered a loss of Rs 30 lakh. "Ankita approached us to partner with her for the show. We decided to invest for the first few days and she was supposed to get sponsors later, but she didn't," says Jaiswal.

Trouble surfaced after vendors, including stage decorators and electricians, started asking for payment on the second day of the show. "We asked Ankita to make the payments, but she refused. However, the next day, she cleared the dues and started making announcements that she had single-handedly organised the show. We told people that we were not partnering with her although we made all arrangements for the show and obtained an NOC for the ground. How can she run the show? We have apprised the Tilak Nagar police about this," adds Jaiswal.

Ankita denies being asked to get sponsors. "They did not want the show to go on and approached Tilak Nagar police, who asked us to mutually resolve the matter. But, the show won't resume. The mess has left artistes disturbed; this is not also good for a singer's reputation," she says.
—Anirban Das