Top Remuneration in Tollywood — Are They the Ones?

Over the last decade, the Telugu film industry has grown tremendously and reached a global level. Earlier, Telugu films were mostly limited to regional markets, but now they are gaining success across India and overseas. Big-budget movies and worldwide collections have increased the value of Tollywood stars. Films like Baahubali: The Beginning, RRR and Pushpa: The Rise created a global impact and brought international attention to Telugu cinema. Because of this growth, star actors and actresses are now receiving record-breaking remuneration.

At present, Allu Arjun is considered the highest-paid hero in Tollywood. After the huge success of Pushpa 2: The Rule, his market value increased significantly. Industry reports say that he now charges around ₹200 crore to ₹300 crore per film. For Pushpa 2, he reportedly chose a profit-sharing model instead of a fixed fee and received about 27% of the film’s profits. As the movie collected over ₹1800 crore worldwide, his earnings are estimated to be around ₹270 crore. He is also working on a big project with director Atlee Kumar, where he is expected to receive a huge payment along with profit share.

Among actresses, Rashmika Mandanna is currently one of the highest-paid. She gained nationwide popularity with successful films like Animal and Pushpa 2: The Rule. According to reports, she charges around ₹10 crore to ₹13 crore per movie. For smaller films, her fee may range between ₹4 crore and ₹8 crore. Apart from movies, she also earns a large income through brand endorsements, advertisements, digital rights and OTT deals. Overall, reports suggest that Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna are currently among the highest-paid stars in Tollywood.