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With the blockbuster success of movies like Leo featuring Vijay and Trisha Krishnan in the lead and Jailer with Rajinikanth and Tamannaah Bhatia in the prominent roles, the South Indian film industry has witnessed its actors and actresses hiking their remuneration. But who is the highest-paid South Indian actress? Hint: It’s not Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Rashmika Mandanna or Tamannaah Bhatia…
Meet the highest-paid South Indian actress…
The highest-paid South Indian actress is Nayanthara. According to CNBC TV18, the Annapoorani star, who predominantly works in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam films, charges between Rs 5-10 crore per movie. In 2023, the ‘Lady Superstar’ made her Hindi film debut with Jawan opposite Shah Rukh Khan. For the Atlee directorial, Nayanthara took home Rs 10 crore, according to Times of India. Nayanthara is also the richest South Indian actress with an estimated net worth of Rs 183 crore.
Nayanthara has two upcoming projects in her kitty; The Test and Mannangatti Since 1960. The Test also stars R Madhavan, Siddharth and Meera Jasmine, and is directed by S. Sashikanth. The sports thriller film is slated for a Summer 2024 release. Mannangatti Since 1960 features Yogi Babu, Devadarshini, Gouri Kishan and Narendra Prasath aside from Nayanthara, and is being helmed by Dude Vicky.
On the other hand, Samantha Ruth Prabhu reportedly charges between Rs 3.5-4 crore per film. According to Times of India, the Super Deluxe star earned between Rs 3.5 crore for Kushi. However, Samantha, who will be making her OTT debut with Citadel opposite Varun Dhawan, is said to have commanded a fee of Rs 10 crore for the series, according to News18 and publicly available data online. This makes her the highest-paid Indian actress on OTT.
Rashmika Mandanna, according to CNBC TV18, reportedly charges 3 crore per project. The Pushpa 2: The Rise star charged Rs 2 crore to star in Animal opposite Ranbir Kapoor, according to NDTV.
Tamannaah Bhatia reportedly charges Rs 2-3.5 crore per movie. The Lust Stories 2 actress charged a fee of Rs 3 crore for starring in Jailer opposite Rajinikanth, according to Times of India.
