By Hemant SharmaSouth Indian cinema comprises of film industries producing movies in four major languages, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. In the recent years, South Indian cinema has witnessed unprecedented popularity and growth with massive box office hits like Bahubali, KGF, RRR, Pushpa and Kantara breaking many records. South Indian cinema is, in fact, outshining the Hindi film industry or Bollywood. Movies are being produced in multiple languages, including Hindi which are catering to both domestic audience in India and global audience. Apart from unique and innovative storylines and high-end cinematography, power packed performances by South Indian actors are driving the success of this industry. Many South Indian actors not only command huge following but are also doing well for themselves financially. Let’s have a look at the top 10 highest paid South Indian actors for 2025.
1 Allu Arjun
Allu Arjun is a Telugu superstar who became a household name for his performance in the mega blockbuster movie Pushpa: The Rise. The sequel of this movie Pushpa 2: The Rule set new records by earning over Rs. 1400 crore globally and Rs. 953 crore in India within 13 days of its release. He is paid around Rs. 300 crore for a film which makes him the highest paid actor in India.
Allu Arjun debuted in the year 2003 with the movie Gangotri. He is a recipient of several awards, including six Filmfare Awards, three Nandi Awards and a National Film Award.
2. Joseph Vijay
Joseph Vijay, popularly known by this nickname Thalapathy, is a Tamil superstar who is the second most paid South Indian actor with a remuneration of Rs. 130 crore to Rs. 275 crore per film. He has acted in 68 films with many highest grossing Tamil films to his credit. His 2004 film Ghilli became the first Tamil film to gross over Rs. 50 crore, and his subsequent commercially successful films like Thirupacchi and Pokkiri established him as a leading actor.
Vijay’s most commercially successful films are Leo and Greatest of All Time. He recently launched his own political party.
3. Rajnikanth
Rajnikanth, the biggest superstar ever produced by South Indian cinema, is famous all over the world. He is well into his seventies with an acting career spanning over 40 years, but is still among the highest paid actors in India with remunerations ranging from Rs. 125 crore to Rs. 270 crore for each film. Rajnikanth has starred in over 170 films across languages like Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali and Malayalam. His latest release, Jailer, earned over Rs. 600 crore.
Rajnikanth is a recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Padma Vibushan and several film awards, including seven Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and a Filmfare Award.
4. Prabhas
Prabhas predominately works in the Telugu cinema and is among the highest paid South Indian actors with remunerations per film ranging between Rs. 100 crore to Rs. 200 crore. He became a sensation among the audience for his performance in the epic series Bahubli: The Beginning and Bahubali 2: The Conclusion. His other commercially successful films include Darling, Mr. Perfect, Chatrapathi, Saalar and Kalki 2898 AD.
Prabhas holds the distinction of being the sole Indian actor to have six films with worldwide gross openings of over Rs. 100 crore.
5. Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar mainly works in the Tamil film industry and is among the highest paid South Indian actors with earnings between Rs. 105 crore to Rs. 165 crore per film. He has starred in over 61 films in his long career, playing multiple roles, right from comedies to action thrillers. Some of his notable movies are Varalaru, Billa, Kireedam and Mankatha.
Ajith Kumar is a recipient of several awards, including three Filmfare Awards South and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
6. Kamal Haassan
Kamal Haasan is a veteran actor who has played a major role in shaping the Tamil film industry. Apart from Tamil films, he has also starred in Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam movies. Haasan is paid around Rs. 100 crore to Rs. 150 crore per film. Altogether, he has over 220 films to his credit. Some of his notable films are Moondram Pirai, Sagar Sangamam, Pushpak Vimana, Dasavatharam, Vishwaroopam and Kalki 2898 AD.
7. Ram Charan
Ram Charan is a popular actor who works primarily in Telugu cinema. He is among the highest paid South Indian actors with remunerations per film ranging between Rs. 100 crore and Rs. 130 crore. Ram Charan is globally known for his performance in the superhit 2022 movie RRR which is the third highest grossing Indian film of all times. He has four Filmfare Awards and two Nandi Awards to his credit.
8. Mahesh Babu
Mahesh Babu works in Telugu cinema and has appeared in 25 movies. He is among the highest paid South Indian actors with earnings ranging between Rs. 80 crore to Rs. 100 crore from each film. Some of his notable films are Okkadu, Athadu, Businessman, Bharat Ane Nenu and Sarkaru Vaari Paata. Babu is a recipient of several film awards, including five Filmfare Telugu Awards, nine Nandi Awards and four SIIMA Awards.
9. Suriya
Suriya mainly works in Tamil cinema and is among the highest paid South Indian actors with remunerations up to Rs. 39 crore per film. He has appeared in multiple critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, such as Kaakha Kaakha, Ghajini, Ayan, Singham series, 7aum Arivu and others. Suriya has won two National Film Awards and six Filmfare Awards South.
10. Dhanush
Dhanush works primarily in Tamil cinema and figures in the list of highest paid South Indian actors with earnings of around Rs. 35 crore per film. He has worked in over 50 films, including the Bollywood movie Ranjhaana. Dhanush starred in the song Why this Kolaveri Di which became the first Indian music video to cross 100 million views on YouTube. He is a recipient of a Filmfare Award, eight Filmfare Awards South and four National Film Awards.
Conclusion
The highest paid South Indian actors have established themselves as superstars in the eyes of the audience on the back of their talent and hard work. High earnings of these actors reflect the immense value they bring to the movies. Their huge fan followings add to their reputations.