"Show me the money," the famous line from the Tom Cruise starrer Jerry Maguire seems to be the mantra for all celebrity endorsers of late. And with these endorsements touching all-time highs, celebrities are laughing all the way to the bank.

For example, Bollywood A lister Aamir Khan charges an eye-popping Rs 5 crore a day. He, however, doesn't sign up for every brand that knocks on his door. "Aamir is very selective," says a celebrity manager, who does not want to be named.

"He studies your marketing plan, gets into its details, even uses the product to see if it lives up to all the promises the marketing team is making in the campaign," says the manager. Two recent celeb deals provide a glimpse into how lucrative endorsements are for big stars. Snapdeal recently signed up Aamir Khan for Rs 30 crore while Rasna got Akshay Kumar on board for Rs 18 crore in a three-year deal. Aamir's nearest competitor in endorsement space, Shah Rukh Khan, doesn't come cheap either at Rs 3.5-4 crore a day. His endorsements range from paints to e-commerce to liquor. "SRK feels he is bigger than the brand he is endorsing so the brand will benefit from his association. His model is totally different," explains the celebrity manager quoted above.

Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been another perennial favorite among brands. Industry sources peg his rate at more than Rs 12 crore a year (usually 3-4 days a year). Dhoni's most expensive deals are learnt to be those with PepsiCo and UB. His deputy, Virat Kohli, has also upped his game on the endorsement fee charts, with his per day rate shooting up almost 500 per cent in the last three years. He currently chargesRs 1.75 crore a day.

His deal with Pepsi is for three years (a total of 8 days). But Bollywood and cricket biggies are not the only ones raising the bar. New stars are also edging up the charts. Ranbir Kapoor, for instance, charges Rs 3 crore a day, up from under Rs 1 crore a few years ago. His revenue strategy — minimum 2-year deals with at least 4 days a year. Another newcomer Ranveer Singh might not be as hot on the advertising scene but that doesn't mean he is easy on the wallet. Singh charges between Rs 1 crore and Rs 1.5 crore a day. But "mind-blowing" creatives, even if it's for a lesser brand, could ensure a deep discount.

Rates may vary

Endorsement rates for celebrities, however, can vary from brand to brand. ET spoke with multiple celebrity agents, brand managers, and intermediaries to get a range for each celebrity with the lower end as the base figure and upper end as the highest amount that the celebrity has been paid by any brand. "Celebrity deals are more about the relationship between the star and the brand. The same star can charge double or three times from a brand new to him or her and the same as he or she did three years back if they have a long-term relationship with the brand," says a senior official at a beverage firm that has signed up several big stars over the years. Lloyd Mathias, the head of marketing, printing & personal systems at HP says that most bankable celebrities today prefer a longer contract with the brand.

And signing a top celebrity is no longer simply about making a call and quoting a fee. The negotiations are long-drawn and detailed. "Celebrity endorsements involve multiple factors, including high production costs, range of noncompeting products and services, and celebrity image risks. Celebrity management agencies are very careful while drawing up agreements. Negotiations are more detailed, and the time involved of the celebrity, the deliverables, geographies for exploitation of the creatives etc. are discussed in detail. Celebrities too are getting more aware and some A-listers even ask to see the creatives before they are released," says Anand Desai, CEO, DSK legal.

Interestingly, the new trend in the industry is to sign longer term deals. Arun Pandey, who represents MS Dhoni, says most endorsement deals his company Rhiti Sports is working on are being done for three-five years. "That way, the relationship with the brand is built and remains intact," he explains. Pandey, however, declined to comment on how much the Indian captain charges to endorse a brand.

Afsar Zaidi, managing director at Exceed Entertainment, which represents Hrithik Roshan says signing long-term deals also help in creating value for the brand which goes beyond featuring in ads or making appearances at conferences or consumer promotions. In 2013-end, Roshan inked a deal with fashion online portal Myntra. com to exclusively launch the HRX brand of apparel.

Bollywood actresses too are slowly playing catch-up to the male stars. Deepika Padukone with her recent successes has hiked her fee to Rs 2 crore a day while Katrina Kaif commands about Rs 1 crore. Incidently, Deepika's graph has seen a higher trajectory though both charged around Rs 40-50 lakh only a few years ago. According to Vinita Bangard, CEO, Krossover Entertainment, the celebrity endorsement market has grown at least 40 per cent in value terms in the last five years with the biggest reasons being that a bigger talent pool and higher fees. Also at the lower end, brands with specific require ments are approaching niche celebs for select assignments, like photographer Daboo Ratnani endorsing Nikon in a digital campaign.

"There are more people in the fray today. IPL has thrown up many new faces and brands are open to more niche players, from chefs to authors to film directors," she says. "There is also an increase in the regional play across sectors, from steel rods to local produce across food and personal care. Not to forget the rise of digital advertising with social media."

Stars from other sports

There is also a growing crop of sportspersons doing well outside of cricket — from Saina Nehwal to Sania Mirza and Vijender Singh --as also other categories like chefs (Vikas Khanna) and authors (Chetan Bhagat) and even film directors (Karan Johar), but they don't come anywhere close to what the big guns with mass appeal charge.

Saina Nehwal, for instance, is today the number one badminton player in the world and endorses six brands but charges Rs 60-75 lakh for a year's contract. Tennis star Sania Mirza is pretty much in the same range. Cricketers such as Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma also fall in a similar range.

Newbies in the endorsement game like writer Chetan Bhagat charge Rs 5-7 lakh for an appearance while Vikas Khanna commandsRs 5-8 lakh. Noted film personality Karan Johar charges Rs 50-60 lakh for a deal but if he directs an ad film, the fee can touch a crore. Youth-centric brands are also roping in the latest youth icons.

Coke, for instance, has signed Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan together in a deal underRs 2 crore late last year. Shraddha Kapoor, who has delivered recent hits like Aashiqui and Haider, charges up to Rs 60-70 lakh a day. Anushka Sharma also charges similar rates. Older stars with enduring legacies are also much in demand. Eureka Forbes has recently roped in Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit and her husband as the brand ambassador for its water purifier Aquaguard.