The south Indian film industry is known to produce some most expensive and highest-earning films in India. Compared to Bollywood, the industry is big on hero worship and fanfare. It is also home to some outstanding actors who manage to shake up the box-office with their releases. With S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR is breaking all records, it is clear that big-screen cinema magic adds immensely to an actor’s net worth.
Here’s a list of actors who have over the years earned a great position for themselves in the industry and have become the highest-paid celebs:
Rajinikanth
A man who needs no introduction, Rajinikanth is one of the biggest superstars we have. With his pan-India appeal, the actor has been entertaining the audience since the ‘70s. Known to be one of the highest-earning actors in Asia, he has starred in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and American movies. As per the media reports, Rajinikanth is currently taking home a whopping Rs 100 crore as his remuneration, including the profits in the film business, officially making him the highest-paid actor in South cinema.
Mohanlal
According to TOI, Mohanlal charges a massive Rs 64 crore for each film. The versatile actor has delivered many hits in his career including Kamaladalam, Gandhinagar 2nd Street, Thoovanathumbikal, Kireedam, Pakshe, and is still going strong.
Dhanush
Dhanush is as talented as they come. He is an actor, producer, lyricist, and a playback singer. He won the prestigious National Film Award for Best Actor for his Tamil film Aadukalam. As per Asianet News, Dhanush charges Rs 32 crore for a film. Predominantly working in Tamil cinema, the Kolaveri Di singer has also featured in Bollywood films like Raanjhanaa and Atrangi Re.
Yash
While he’s been around for a while, his appeal grew multifold and across India after the release of KGF: Chapter 1. He is said to charge Rs 20 crore for a film, and his net worth is valued at $7 million (approximately
Rs 53 crores).
Jr NTR
The RRR actor is the grandson of legendary Telugu actor and politician N.T. Rama Rao. According to a report in DNA, the popular star charges a hefty sum of Rs 45 crore per film.
Ram Charan
Known as one of the biggest action stars in the South film industry, Ram Charan received a paycheck of Rs 45 crore for essaying the role of Alluri Sitarama Raju in RRR. He is also known for his powerful performance in films like Magadheera (2009), Zanjeer (2013), and Rangasthalam (2018).
Prabhas
Prabhas is one of the highest-paid actors. He charges approximately Rs 80-85 crore per film, according to TOI. The actor earned worldwide popularity with his blockbuster film Baahubali. Interestingly, before the release of the film, Prabhas was charging Rs 7 crore as his remuneration.
Mahesh Babu
Hailed as one of the biggest Tollywood stars, Mahesh Babu takes home a whopping remuneration of Rs 45 crore for his films. In his career, the actor has delivered various hits including Nenokkadine, Athadu, Pokiri, Dookudu, Srimanthudu, and more.
Nagarjuna
Hailing from Chennai, Akkineni Nagarjuna is a showrunner by himself. Over the year he has managed to take over the whole industry. Today he is not just an actor, but also is a director, producer, and a renowned businessman. His net worth is at a whopping Rs 800 crore.
Pawan Kalyan
Actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan made his acting debut with Vakeel Saab. He got a whopping remuneration of Rs 50 crore for just 18 days of call sheets for the film. For his other projects such as Bheemla Nayak, Hari Hara Veeramallu, and director Harish Shankar’s film, Pawan is said to be getting Rs 60 crore per film.
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar began his acting career as a supporting star in a Telugu film before he earned critical acclaim for his performance in the thriller Aasai (1995). He’s been an audience favourite since then. Kumar charges Rs 105 crore as his remuneration for a film, as per TOI. As per reports, the actor had asked for Rs 100 crore as his fee for AK 62, to which the production house added Rs 5 crore more to have the star on board as the film’s lead. The actor has been honoured with various awards including four Vijay Awards, three Cinema Express Awards, three Filmfare Awards South, and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
(Featured Image Credits: Instagram)
