It wasn’t that long ago that a ₹10 crore paycheck for an actor was jaw-dropping. In the 90s, Chiranjeevi, Kamal Haasan, and Sridevi became the first Indian stars to charge ₹1 crore per movie. Over the next decade, the Khans became the highest-paid actors and increased their remuneration to staggering levels. As the scale of Indian films has increased over the last decade, regional stars have again come to dominate the standings, with the likes of Rajinikanth, Yash, and Allu Arjun routinely charging over ₹200 crore per film. But in 2026, a Bollywood star has reclaimed the throne, and it is not one of the Khans.
India’s highest-paid actor
Ranveer Singh is now the highest-paid actor in India, courtesy of his bumper payday from Dhurandhar. The actor led the immensely successful duology (originally shot as one film). The two Dhurandhar films collected a staggering ₹3200 crore gross worldwide, including over ₹1900 crore net in India alone. Reports indicate that Ranveer had foregone his usual fee for the film and opted for a profit-sharing model instead. He even put in his own funds later when the production went over budget. This has increased his profit share in the two films.
According to trade estimates, after accounting for the distribution share, theatrical bonus, and earnings from non-theatrical streams (digital rights, satellite rights, and music rights), Ranveer’s share comes out to ₹325 crore. The lion’s share of the overall profits has gone to Jio Studios, followed by Aditya Dhar’s B62 Studios. But Ranveer’s share is the highest among the cast and also the highest for an Indian actor for a single production.
How Ranveer beat the Khans and Allu Arjun
Before Ranveer crossed the ₹300-crore barrier, the record for the highest-paid Indian actor belonged to south star Rajinikanth, who had earned over ₹250 crore from his 2024 blockbuster Jailer. Both Allu Arjun and Prabhas reportedly earned in excess of ₹200 crore each from their recent hits – Pushpa 2 and Kalki 2898 AD, respectively. In Bollywood, the record had belonged to Shah Rukh Khan since 2023. That year, King Khan earned around ₹200 crore each for Pathaan and Jawan, his biggest hits. Prior to that, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan had traded the record for much of the 2010s.