There certainly are some big hit shows in the South Indian TV scene, and those are a way of prime entertainment for many in their regional languages. And in these TV shows, of course, there are some actors who get paid more than anyone else, and talking about that, well, we’re here with this list of the 10 Highest Paid TV South Indian Actors in 2026. So let’s just get going with it right away, then.
1. Kamal Haasan
When Bigg Boss Tamil went on-air for the first time, nobody had in mind the show would become one of the top-paying avenues for a TV host in India. And that is exactly why Kamal Haasan is the undisputed number one on this list. There are a number of reports indicating that for the whole Bigg Boss Tamil 7 season, Kamal Haasan was paid somewhere in the region of ₹ 130 crores. Now that sum may seem strange at first, but keep in mind this is not a pay-per-episode. It is the entire season contract amount.
2. Vijay Sethupathi
At the number two position of our list is Vijay Sethupathi, yet another well-known actor who made a guest appearance in Bigg Boss Tamil. Coincidentally, season 8 of Bigg Boss Tamil was hosted by Vijay Sethupathi, and there are news that his contract for the season was worth approximately ₹60 crore. One aspect, which a lot of people are unaware of, is that he was mostly present during the weekend episodes of the season.
3. Nagarjuna
Nagarjuna is a name that viewers have been hearing constantly on Telugu television reality shows for years. That steadiness, in fact, gets him third position in this list. Nagarjuna has been the host for Bigg Boss Telugu, and for Season 9, the reports say that his pay is about ₹30 crore for the entire season. Some sources even go so far as to say that the number could be closer to ₹35 to 40 crore.
4. Mohanlal
Only a handful of Malayalam TV shows have achieved such a high level of popularity as Bigg Boss Malayalam is enjoying today. And a significant reason for this success is undoubtedly the host, Mohanlal. Hence, Mohanlal holds the fourth spot on our list. As per the various reports, he made around ₹24 crore for the Season 7 hosting of the show. Quite fascinatingly, several media houses label this to be his largest earning from the show to date, which is a strong indication of how instrumental his presence has been for the show.
5. Kiccha Sudeepa
If you have tracked Kannada TV media even for a little while, you must almost certainly be aware of the fact that Kiccha Sudeepa and Bigg Boss Kannada are almost synonymous. Very few celebrities have been associated with the show for as long a time as Sudeepa, which is why we have ranked him no. 5 on today’s post. It is believed that Sudeepa was paid about ₹8 crore for the entire season of Bigg Boss Kannada Season 11.
6. Nirupam Paritala
Leaving aside reality shows for a bit, here we are at the sixth position on our list, which belongs to Nirupam Paritala. It was with the huge success of the Telugu serial Karthika Deepam that his fame grew exponentially. As a result of that fame, Nirupam rapidly turned into one of the most familiar faces in Telugu television. It is said that he makes about ₹40,000 per day through his TV serials, thus he’s counted among the top earners of daily-soap actors in the industry.
7. Marimuthu
Once in a while, an actor’s entire career trajectory is changed by just one single television role, Marimuthu being one of such cases. His character Gunasekaran in Sun TV’s Ethirneechal got him widespread fame among Tamil TV viewers. This popularity is what primarily reasons him to be placed at number seven on this list. It is said that Marimuthu was getting paid about ₹35,000 per episode of the show, which is really a great figure for a daily television serial.
8. Sai Kiran
Coming at the eighth slot is Sai Kiran, one of the most recognized faces of Telugu television. Throughout the years, he has acted in many serials, which allowed him to garner a loyal fan base among TV viewers. Different reports show various figures, but Sai Kiran is very often named as one of the highest-paid actors in Telugu TV serials. Such a steady presence in the top-earner talks is the main reason he deserves to be on this list.
9. Indraneel Varma
Indraneel Varma is the ninth most paid actor. Like Sai Kiran, Indraneel is recognized as one of the highly paid actors of the Telugu television industry. However, what’s intriguing is that various sources have cited different salary figures, thereby making it hard to pinpoint one exact number. Nevertheless, the majority of the reports have highlighted that he is one of the actors who demand a good salary for their performances in the daily serials.
10. Bablu Prithiviraj
Finally, at number ten on our list today, is Bablu Prithiviraj. One of the things that makes his career quite different is that he has been a part of both movies and TV shows like not many TV actors who work that way. As per sources, Bablu Prithiviraj pocketed around ₹20,000 for each episode of the Tamil serial Kannana Kanne. And even though this figure might appear much lower than the reality show hosts featured on this list, it is still regarded as a neat sum in the realm of daily TV serials.
Conclusion
That should do it. These are by far the actors who get paid the most, and in case you didn’t know that, well, now you also know the reasons behind that, correct?