Rishi Kapoor 'axed from Indian X Factor'

Rishi Kapoor has reportedly been turned down as a judge on the Indian version of the X Factor after disagreements over his fee.

The Bobby star is said to have been replaced by musician Salim Merchant, after producers judged his salary expectation to be above their budget.

A source told Mumbai Mirror: “Rishi Kapoor was to judge the show but when the channel got the confirmations from Sonu Nigam and Sanjay Leela Bhansali, both of whom had quoted huge amounts as fee, the channel was in a fix."

The tabloid reports that producers decided to take on other industry figures to judge the show.

"They opted for Nigam as he is known to appeal to all sections of the audience and has not been on any reality shows for a long time now," the source continued. "Bhansali was also signed on because he is yet to finalise his new film script, after the release of Guzaarish.”

Kapoor currently features in Nikhil Advani's Patiala House.