It wasn’t long ago that the top Indian actors were charging somewhere between Rs 10-20 crore per film. Then, a boom in the theatrical earnings and the profit sharing model saw our screen heroes’ per film earnings skyrocket. The Rs 100 crore mark was breached, first by the three Khans and then by regional superstars as well. Recently, the Rs 200-crore mark was breached too and now, barely weeks later, that record has been broken too.
India’s highest paid actor
Superstar Rajinikanth has once again become the highest paid actor in India, years after he first held the title in the mid-90s. Rajinikanth was reportedly paid Rs 110 crore for his performance in his recent release Jailer. The success of the film meant the actor was also paid a share in the profits. As per trade analyst Manobala Vijayabalan, Rajni was paid Rs 100 crore in his share of the profits, taking his total remuneration to a massive Rs 210 crore, the highest for any Indian actor.
“Info coming in that, the envelope handed over by Kalanithi Maran to superstar #rajinikanth contains a single cheque amounting Rs 100 crore from City Union Bank, Mandaveli branch, Chennai. This is a #Jailer profit sharing cheque which is up & above the already paid remuneration [Rs 110 cr] of superstar for the movie. Total - Rs 210 cr, making superstar Rajinikanth the highest paid actor in India,” tweeted Vijayabalan last week.
Incidentally, Rajinikanth also got, as a gift, a BMW sedan worth over Rs 1.25 crore from Jailer’s producer Kalanithi Maran after the film’s success. Jailer, directed by Nelson, has earned over Rs 580 crore worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing Tamil film of all time.
Top 10 highest paid actors of India
Rajinikanth has surpassed Thalapathy Vijay as the highest-paid actor in India. The actor is reportedly taking home Rs 200 crore for his upcoming film Leo. Shah Rukh Khan also reportedly earned just under Rs 200 crore for Pathaan. Many other actors like Salman Khan, Prabhas, and Ajith also earn in excess of Rs 150 crore per film, depending on profit share. Aamir Khan famously earned over Rs 250 crore for Dangal but has since not been able to breach the Rs 150-crore mark due to the non-performance of his recent films.
