The world of OTT has changed, and a number of talents have made the list of actors with the highest salaries. Popular OTT platforms like Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, and ZEE5 have emerged as the ultimate source of entertainment for audiences as a result of mainstream actors like Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and others shifting to the digital medium in recent years.
While these OTT platforms have helped some actors like Pankaj Tripathi and Jitendra Kumar establish themselves in the industry, mainstream stars have also helped these platforms attract more viewers. But that’s not all: the rise of OTT in recent years has helped a few actors increase their enormous net worths by crores. So, let’s dive into the list of
13 Indian OTT Actors With The Highest Salaries
1. Ajay Devgn – Rudra: The Edge of Darkness
Ajay Devgn, one of B-Town’s highest-earning actors, made his long-awaited OTT debut in the critically acclaimed psychological crime thriller Rudra: The Edge of Darkness. Multiple media reports claim that Devgn was paid a staggering Rs 125 crores for the official remake of the British show Luther, despite the fact that the 53-year-old actor received a lot of praise for his strong performance in the series.
2. Saif Ali Khan – Sacred Games
Saif Ali Khan was among the first well-known Bollywood stars to switch to OTT, and his performance as Sartaj Singh in Netflix’s Sacred Games did not go unnoticed. According to Siasat, the 52-year-old actor billed Rs 15 crore for eight episodes of the first season of the popular neo-noir crime thriller series.
3. Pankaj Tripathi – Mirzapur & Sacred Games
According to multiple media reports, Pankaj Tripathi received a hefty fee of Rs 12 crore for his performance as Guruji in Netflix’s Sacred Games and Rs 10 crore for his portrayal of Akhandanand Tripathi, aka Kaleen Bhaiya, in Amazon Prime Video’s Mirzapur. Tripathi is all set to reprise his role in the eagerly anticipated third season of Mirzapur.
4. Nawazuddin Siddiqui – Sacred Games
Nawazuddin Siddiqui had a chance to demonstrate his versatility as an actor thanks to the phenomenal success of Sacred Games, which not only prompted the creators to return for a second season but also provided him with an opportunity to do so. However, DNA says that the actor charged Rs 10 crore to play Ganesh Gaitonde again in the second season.
5. Manoj Bajpayee – The Family Man
In Raj and DK’s critically acclaimed crime thriller series The Family Man, Manoj Bajpayee’s performance as Srikant Tiwari won over the audience. According to News18, the well-known actor, scheduled to reprise his role in the popular Amazon Prime Video series’ third season, earned a whopping Rs 10 crore as fees for his performance in the second season.
6. Radhika Apte – Sacred Games
One of the highest-earning actresses is Radhika Apte, who recently appeared in Monica, O My Darling, Vikram Vedha, and Forensic. She continues to alternate between the big screen and OTT. According to various media reports, she was paid Rs 4 crore for her role as RAW agent Anjali Mathur in the limited neo-noir crime thriller series.
7. Samantha Ruth Prabhu – The Family Man
With her performance as ruthless rebel Rajalakshmi Sekharan, aka Raji, Samantha Ruth Prabhu won over the audience in her long-awaited digital debut with The Family Man 2. Prabhu, who later appeared on Karan Johar’s talk show Koffee with Karan Season 7, revealed the real reason for taking on such a difficult role, despite the fact that she earned a sizable salary of Rs. 4 crores for the role. She said, “It was simply a cry for a challenge because, as you are aware, you are typecast in the roles offered in the south. This is not their fault; the directors saw me as the bubbly, cute love interest”. She added, “Here was an opportunity to look at me through another lens, and I grabbed it. I was feeling stifled and really wanted to break through.”
8. Bobby Deol – Aashram 3
The crime drama Aashram, directed by Prakash Jha, is one of the main reasons why Bobby Deol has successfully revived his acting career. Even though Deol has done an excellent job playing Kashipur Waale Baba Nirala, the show’s huge success prompted the creators to make two more seasons. According to DNA, in the crime drama’s third season, Deol reprised his role, earning between Rs. 1 and Rs. 4 crores.
9. Ali Fazal – Mirzapur
The much-anticipated third season of Amazon Prime Video’s Mirzapur will feature Ali Fazal, who has appeared in several Hollywood films, including Death on the Nile and Furious 7. However, according to multiple media reports, his compensation for the upcoming season is unknown. Still, it is certain to be greater than Rs 12 lakh per episode during the second season of the crime thriller series.
10. Priyamani – The Family Man
Priyamani is well-known for her roles in Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil films. She also starred alongside Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan in the 2013 movie Chennai Express.
She became well-known in north India due to her appearance in the Amazon Prime drama The Family Man. She plays Suchi, Manoj Bajpai’s wife, in the online series. She has compensated Rs. 10 Lakh for this role for each episode in the second season, which had nine episodes in total.
11. Pratik Gandhi – Scam 1992
Last seen in the role of a gay lover in Modern Love: Mumbai on Amazon Prime Video. After putting on a powerful performance in Hansal Mehta’s series, Scam 1992, Pratik Gandhi became an instant hit. According to reports in the media, the well-known actor has been compensated Rs 5 lakh per episode for the same.
12. Sunil Grover – Tandav
Sunil Grover is a man with a lot of skills. He has the ability to both astonish you with his intense acting and make you laugh with his comic timing. According to News18, Grover, who starred in the thriller web series Tandav received a salary of Rs 5 lakh per episode. And he is next seen in Goodbye alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Rashmika Mandanna,
13. Jitendra Kumar – Panchayat Season 2
Jitendra Kumar, an actor who has established a name for himself in the OTT world with outstanding performances in popular shows like TVF Pitchers and Kota Factory, reunited with Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav for a new exciting season of Panchayat.
The drama’s plot centers on the day-to-day struggles of an engineering graduate who ends up working as a secretary at the Phulera panchayat office. A DNA report claims that Kumar, who also appeared in Netflix’s sports drama Jaadugar, charged Rs 4 lakh for eight episodes.
So this was the list of 13 actors and actresses who charge a whopping amount for their roles but undoubtedly it’s all worth it when you watch their show. The hardwork and effort that is put-in is clearly visible. So if you haven’t watched any of their web series or movies mentioned in the list then you are definitely missing something. Go and watch them all and don’t forget to follow Kiddaan for more such content.
