During April-December 2010, actors Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan had paid of Rs20 crore each in advance taxes. This year, SRK paid only Rs10 crore and Akshay Kumar Rs11 crore, 50 per cent and 45 per cent less, respectively. Amitabh Bachchan paid only Rs4 crore in advance tax so far this fiscal, compared with Rs13 crore he paid during the same period last year.

According to sources in celebrity management agencies, stars like SRK and Akshay Kumar have not signed any endorsement deal since April. “No new deals means no income in personal capacity for which they pay advance tax. Also, while SRK was most visible on television according to TAM Adex report, this was only because of his in-house promotion for RA.One which began in March. So, he has not earned anything from new endorsements,” said the head of a leading celebrity management agency.

Shah Rukh Khan endorses brands like Emami, Hyundai Motors and Dish TV, among others, charging Rs7-8 crore per year.

The story is the same among leading Bollywood actresses as well. While Kareena Kapoor paid Rs3.5 crore in advance tax, down from last year’s Rs4 crore, rival Priyanka Chopra saw a 50 per cent dip — Rs2.5 crore this fiscal compared to a little over Rs5 crore during April-December 2010. Analysts tracking the FMCG sector say FMCG firms like Hindustan Unilever, Procter & Gamble, ITC and Dabur reduced advertising spends by around Rs500 crore in the first six months of current fiscal compared with the same period last year. “Less spending on ad, marketing and promotions is evident from the financials of FMCG majors. This means they may also have spent less or nothing on hiring celebrities for endorsements,” says a market analyst.