Rs 275 crore, the amount is something that is a healthy figure for a film’s box office earnings. Indeed, recent hits like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 have earned less than the amount. So imagine an actor getting that much money, and that too, just for one film. And then picture that the said film is the actor’s last. Talk about going out on a high. This is the story of India’s highest paid actor.
India’s highest paid actor
Thalapathy Vijay, the reigning king of Tamil cinema, is charging Rs 275 crore for his upcoming film, tentatively titled Thalapathy 69. This reported figure is more than twice what is charged by the other superstars of India. All big actors – Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Akshay Kumar charge between Rs 100-150 crore per film. This is way less than Vijay’s reported salary for Thalapathy 69, making him India’s highest paid actor, ahead of Rajinikanth, who charges somewhere around Rs 225-250 crore for a film.
Thalapathy Vijay, the box office king
Since 2017, Vijay has appeared in eight films in the lead role and all of them have grossed over Rs 200 crore worldwide. Four of these eight feature in the top 10 highest grossing Tamil films of all time. The sequence begins with Mersal (Rs 210 crore), and continues with Sarkar (Rs 245 crore), Bigil (Rs 285 crore), Master (Rs 260 crore), Beast (Rs 220 crore), and Varisu (Rs 300 crore). Since 2023, Vijay has taken his box office dominance a notch higher. Last year, he gave Leo, one of the highest-grossing Tamil films ever with a worldwide gross of over Rs 600 crore. This year, he has starred in GOAT (The Greatest of All Time), which has already crossed Rs 280 crore in its opening weekend and looks set to cross Rs 400 crore by the end of its run.
Thalapathy Vijay’s retirement
Clearly, the actor is at his peak when it comes to his stardom. Yet, Thalapathy 69 will be his final film. Thalapathy 69 will be directed by H Vinoth (who directed Ajith Kumar in Valimai) with music from Anirudh. The film is scheduled for an October 2025 release. The actor will be leaving films to focus on a political career post Thalapathy 69. He has already floated a political party named Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam. A statement Vijay released in February about his retirement read: "Politics is not a hobby. It's my deepest desire. I want to involve myself completely. Hence, I will complete one more film that I committed to and become a full-fledged politician. This is how I'd pay my debts to the people of Tamil Nadu."
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