Bollywood sits at the heart of the visual media ecosystem in India, owing to its appeal to the Hindi-speaking audience in the country, which is the language with the highest number of speakers. It’s no wonder, therefore, that some of the most-paid Indian actors come from Bollywood. However, contrary to popular belief, most of the top 10 highest-paid Indian actors are from South Indian film industries.
While the cinema of South India has achieved mainstream attention in recent years, captivating viewers across all Indian regions with their action-packed stories, they have had cult followings across the country for a long time. As a result, South Indian actors have broken into the list of the top 10 most-paid Indian actors in droves. In this article, we look at a list of the most paid Indian actors to have insights into the big earners.   Also Read: Top 10 highest-grossing films worldwide

Top 10 most-paid Indian actors

Here are the top 10 highest-paid Indian actors, with data sourced from IMDb and sorted from the most paid to the least:

A closer look at the highest-paid Indian actorsNow, what makes these ‘heroes’ earn so much? They have had illustrious careers with films that have delivered social messages, family dramas, romance, action, and plain entertainment, drawing innumerable fans to boost their popularity. Here’s an insight into their work:

Shah Rukh Khan

Frequently called King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan has had some big flops in his body of work, but none of that has stopped him from delivering two consecutive blockbusters in 2023, Jawan and Pathaan, both crossing Rs2000 crores worldwide. His latest release, Dunki continues to earn big as well, highlighting his star power. Starting with television series in the late 1980s and breaking into Bollywood with 1992’s Deewana, Shah Rukh Khan has built his career from scratch and continued to break records, sealing his position as the highest-paid Bollywood star.

Rajinikanth

Rajinikanth, the highest-paid South Indian actor, has almost achieved the status of a living deity in the Southern parts of India and beyond, pulling in enthused crowds through his presence in a movie alone. His actual name is Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, and he has primarily worked in Tamil cinema. Rajinikanth was last seen in Jailer, an action comedy that became a box office success; he charged Rs110 crores for the movie.Also Read: Top 10 highest-paid actors in the world

Joseph Vijay

Another of the highest-paid South Indian actors, Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, is also known as Thalapathy Vijay. His career spans over two decades, starting at age 10 in 1984 as a child artist in the movie Vetri. Vijay is one of the most bankable performers in the South movie industries; his 2023 movies include Varisu, which earned around Rs300 crore worldwide, and Leo, which grossed over Rs612 crore worldwide. Notably, Leo is also the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2023.

Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan’s fan base appreciates his careful choice of movies, earning him the nickname ‘Mr. Perfectionist’ for his dedication to the perfect execution of every aspect of the media he is a part of. His last release, Laal Singh Chaddha in 2022, did not see notable success; however, he is set to continue his holiday season movie release trend with Sitaare Zameen Par in 2024, after fan-favourite hits like Dangal, PK, and 3 Idiots.

Prabhas

Prabhas earned true stardom after the release of SS Rajamouli’s historic Baahubali duology, pushing the actor’s net worth to a jump of 94 percent in the past eight years. While his Adipurush was a controversial flop, his latest Salaar currently has a domestic net collection of Rs369.37 crore, leaving Rajinikanth’s Jailer behind at its net Rs348.55 crore.

Ajith Kumar

Yet another of the highest-paid South Indian actors, Kumar’s performance in the 2023 release Thunivu was well received by fans. The movie earned a total of Rs130 crores in Indian markets.

Salman Khan

Yet another Bollywood actor with a significant fan following, Salman Khan’s image as an actor has gone from the romantic Prem of the 1990s to the early 2000s to everyone’s ‘bhai’ in recent years. His popularity has grown, making him one of the most-paid Indian actors. His latest release, Tiger 3, has earned over Rs466.63 crore worldwide.

Kamal Hassan

Kamal Hassan is another phenomenon from South India, having starred in around 220 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. While the actor saw no release in 2023, anticipation is building around his upcoming KH 234 with director Mani Ratnam.

Allu Arjun

Arjun is best known across India for his starring role in Pushpa: The Rise, a 2021 Telugu film. A sequel titled Pushpa: The Rule- Part 2 is scheduled for 2024; the movie is expected to break box office records set by Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan.

Akshay Kumar

Akshay Kumar is well known for his comic timing in movies like Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and more family entertainers. In recent years, he has also been a part of several movies carrying important social messages, including Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Padman, and more. While 2023 didn’t see any notable hits from him, OMG 2, with a guest appearance by him, earned approximately Rs221 crore worldwide.

FAQs:

Who is the highest-paid Indian actress?Deepika Padukone is the highest-paid Indian actress in 2024; she charges approximately Rs15 to 30 crore per movie/TV series.  Who are the world’s wealthiest actors?The wealthiest actors in the world include Tyler Perry (net worth around $1 billion), Jerry Seinfeld (net worth approx $950 million), Dwayne Johnson (net worth approx $800 million), Shah Rukh Khan, the highest-paid Bollywood star, and Tom Cruise (net worth about $600 million).