Bollywood has long dominated India’s entertainment industry, thanks to its massive Hindi-speaking audience. However, in recent years, South Indian cinema has surged in popularity, captivating audiences with high-energy action sequences, gripping narratives, and larger-than-life performances.

This shift has propelled South Indian actors into the spotlight, with many now commanding some of the highest fees in the country. According to a recent The Indian Express article, which analysed the earnings and assets of India’s top 10 actors using data sourced from Forbes, Allu Arjun has emerged as the highest-earning actor in India due to a string of successful films in a short period. The report reveals that Allu Arjun earns approximately INR300 crores (INR3 billion) per film, with his total assets valued at INR350 crores. In second place is Joseph Vijay, a prominent South Indian actor, who charges between INR130 to 275 crores per film. His assets are valued at an impressive INR474 crores. Bollywood's Shah Rukh Khan, often called the "King of Bollywood," ranks third. He earns between INR150 to 250 crores per film, with his assets estimated at a staggering INR6300 crores.

Rajinikanth, the legendary South Indian star, takes the fourth spot, with earnings of around INR270 crores per film and assets worth INR430 crores. Aamir Khan follows in fifth place, earning between INR100 to 175 crores per film. His assets are valued at INR1862 crores. Prabhas, Ajith Kumar, Salman Khan, Kamal Haasan and Akshay Kumar rounded out the list at sixth, seventh, eighth, nineth and tenth places, respectively.