The Indian film industry is well-known for its varied repertoire, musical numbers and unique storytelling format. Leading actors often charge more than a billion rupees per appearance and are likely to take on multiple projects each year. The highest paid male actors in India hail from Bollywood as well as the southern film industries — often colloquially referred to as Tollywood, Kollywood, Mollywood and Sandalwood.
Films in India are often made on multi-billion rupee budgets and successful movies can reap corresponding rewards. Kalki 2898 AD — directed by Nag Ashwin and released in 2022 — currently holds the record for being the most expensive movie made in India with an estimated budget of ₹600 crore. Tamil 3D science-fantasy action film 2.0 follows closely with an estimated budget of ₹570 crore.
Earlier in September blockbuster horror comedy “Stree 2” became the first-ever Hindi film to cross the ₹600 crore-mark at the domestic box office. The Amar Kaushik-directed film starring Rajkumar Rao and Shhraddha Kapoor is a sequel to the 2019 film “Stree”.
10. Kamal Haasan - ₹150 crore
According to reports, the popular actor currently charges between ₹100 crore and ₹150 crore per film. His last release was Indian 2.
9. Ajith Kumar - ₹196 crore
Kumar reportedly charges between ₹105 crore and ₹165 crore per film. His last release was Thunivu.
8. Prabhas - ₹241 crore
The superstar was reportedly the first south Indian actor to charge ₹100 crore per film. According to estimates he now charges anywhere between ₹100 crore and ₹200 crore for each movie. His last release was Kalki 2898 AD.
7. Allu Arjun ₹350 crore
The south Indian actor enjoys immense popularity and currently charges ₹100 crore to ₹125 crore per film. His last release was Pushpa: The Rise.
6. Rajinikanth - ₹430 crore
The superstar has worked more than 170 films spanning Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Malayalam languages over the past five decades. He presently charges anywhere between ₹125 crore and ₹270 crore for each film. His most recent releases were Vettaiyan and Jailer.
5. Joseph Vijay - ₹474 crore
The well-known actor and playback singer works in Tamil cinema and now charges between ₹130 crore and ₹275 crore for each film. He is currently waiting for the release of his film Thalapathy 69. Recent releases include G.O.A.T and Leo.
4. Aamir Khan - ₹1862 crore
The first actor on the highest-paid list to work wholly in Hindi films, he charges around ₹100 crore to ₹275 crore for each movie.
3. Akshay Kumar - ₹2500 crore
The immensely popular actor charges a somewhat lower fee than his peers — earning between ₹60 crore and ₹145 crore per film at present. His most recent release was Khel Khel Mein.
2. Salman Khan - ₹2900 crore
The driving force behind a series of nearly single-handed box office hits currently charges anywhere between ₹100 crore and ₹150 crore per film. His last release was Tiger 3.
1. Shah Rukh Khan - ₹6300 crore
The superstar — often dubbed the ‘Baadshah’ of Bollywood and ‘King Khan’ — earns between ₹150 crore and ₹250 crore per movie and has recently made a ‘comeback’ on cinema screens. Shah has seen a series of commercial and critical successes after ending a four year break from acting. Films such as Pathaan and Jawaan now rank among the 10 highest brossing films in the country. His most recent release was Dunki.
