Bollywood is the crown jewel of India’s visual media industry, primarily due to its appeal to Hindi-speaking viewers- India’s largest linguistic population. Hence, it is not surprising that the majority of the highest-paid Indian stars are from Bollywood. Contrary to popular opinion, however, most of the top 10 best-paid Indian movie stars of 2024 come from South Indian film industries.
South Indian cinema has seriously gained mainstream attention over the years, entertaining a household audience from all corners of the nation with its blend of action-packed storylines.
South Indian actors are no longer just known for their hard-core fan following but also for appearing in the list of India’s highest-paid actors.
This article describes the highest-paid Indian actors and presents a peep into the top 10 earners in India during 2024.
The Ten Highest-Paid Actors in India
Here are the top 10 highest-paid Indian actors, ranked from highest to lowest based on data from IMDb.
| Ranking | Name of Actors | Estimated Fee Charged Per Movie in INR |
| 1 | Thalapathy Vijay | 130-275 crore per movie |
| 2 | Shah Rukh Khan | 150-250 crore per movie |
| 3 | Rajinikanth | 125-270 crore per movie |
| 4 | Aamir Khan | 100-275 crore per movie |
| 5 | Prabhas | 100-200 crore per movie |
| 6 | Ajith Kumar | 105-165 crore per movie |
| 7 | Salman Khan | 100-150 crore per movie |
| 8 | Kamal Haasan | 100-125 crore per movie |
| 9 | Allu Arjun | 100-125 crore per movie |
| 10 | Akshay Kumar | 60-145 crore per movie |
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So, what motivates these “heroes” to milk these gigantic amounts of money? Their careers are supported by films that do more than entertain; they carry social messages, family dramas, romance, action, and pure fun. Such films attract millions of fans and, in return, increase their popularity and appeal. Let us look into their work
- Thalapathy Vijay
Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, also referred to as Thalapathy Vijay for the film fraternity in South Indian cinema circles, has earned a reputation as one of its highest-paid actors. Entering this industry over two decades back, he began as a child artist at the age of 10 in the 1984 film Vetri. Today, Vijay is one of the most bankable stars in South Indian cinema. He delivered the 2023 film Varisu, which brought around Rs. 300 crore worldwide, and Leo which collected more than Rs. 612 crore worldwide. Interestingly, Leo emerged as the highest-grossing film in Tamil films of 2023.
- Shah Rukh Khan
He is often called “King Khan,” and if anything, that is an epithet he has taken in all seriousness due to several big setbacks in his career as well. Not that those setbacks had come his way. The two consecutive blockbusters that have duly followed in 2023-Jawan and Pathaan-have all crossed Rs 2000 crore globally. His latest venture, Dunki, too is crossing hitherto unbelievable numbers, further proof of the enormous star power. Having worked on television series since the late 1980s, Khan first appeared in Bollywood in the movie Deewana in 1992. He has built himself up from the ground working his way up over the years by breaking multiple records and establishing himself as one of the highest-paid stars in Bollywood, thus aligning him squarely in the top 10 of the paid actors in India for 2024.
- Rajinikanth
Widely regarded as one of the highest-paid stars in South Indian cinema, Rajinikanth is much more than a man-film star but a phenomenon that transcends regional boundaries to assume near-deity status across the southern regions of India and beyond. His presence in any film ensures praise and tickets well sold. Born as Shivaji Rao Gaikwad, he has mostly worked in Tamil cinema and stands as an iconic figure. His last sighting was in the action-comedy Jailer, a box office hit, for which he demanded Rs 110 crores and thus became one of the top 10 highest-paid actors in India in 2024.
- Aamir Khan
Aamir Khan is known as the “Mr. Perfectionist” because he has been very selective with his choice of roles and involvement in delivering excellence for each of his projects. Although his 2022 film Laal Singh Chaddha did not do too well, Khan will carry on the holiday season tradition with Sitaare Zameen Par in 2024. Being a maestro for big-budget films such as Dangal, PK, and 3 Idiots, Aamir still occupies a special place in the hearts of millions and finds a spot in India’s Top 10 highest-paid actors in 2024. His dedication to fine quality endears him to fans, who all eagerly await each new film he carefully brings to the theaters.
- Prabhas
Since the Baahubali series by SS Rajamouli catapulted Prabhas into superstardom, his net worth has skyrocketed by 94 percent in the last eight years. The controversy generated by his latest release Adipurush notwithstanding, Salaar seems to have hit the right chord as it already crossed Rajinikanth’s Jailer at a net collection in the domestic market. According to the latest figures, Salaar has collected a net sum of Rs 369.37 crore as against a net collection of Rs 348.55 crore by Jailer of Rajinikanth. This has made Prabha’s feature in the list of the top 10 highest-paid actors in India in 2024.
- Ajith Kumar
Another highest-paid actor from South India, Kumar was further appreciated by audiences after his role in the film Thunivu released in 2023. The movie earned a total amount of Rs. 130 crores in India.
- Salman Khan
The never-ending craze of fans around him has seen the change of character from the 1990s and early 2000s’ romantic Prem to today’s darling “bhai” that actor Salman Khan is enjoying with unprecedented success, after films such as Sultan, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and Baaghi, catapulting him into one of India’s top-paid actors. His latest Tiger 3, he revealed, is the third installment of the franchise, which has netted more than Rs 466.63 crore at the global box office.
- Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is a South Indian film legend who has acted in over 220 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi languages. There have been no releases of any films by him in 2023, so a huge excitement awaits KH 234 going from the legendary director Mani Ratnam.
- Allu Arjun
Arjun has widespread popularity in India as he is in the lead role of the 2021 Telugu film Pushpa: The Rise. Again, he will be seen in a sequel, titled Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2, in 2024; and no doubt, this movie is going to break many records set by Shah Rukh Khan with his Jawan.
- Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar is known to be one of the best comedy actors in the industry, seen in Hera Pheri, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and many family entertainers. In the last few years, he has also starred in several impactful movies that have huge social messages behind them, such as Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Padman. However, 2023 was a lackluster year for him, with no major hits. Yet, his appearance in OMG 2 helped the movie mint around ₹221 crore at the box office worldwide.
