Rajinikanth to Simbu: How much do the biggest Tamil stars earn?

After calling off the 48-day long strike, the Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council (TFPC) have made it a point to make sure they will sort out the issue of rising remuneration of top actors in Kollywood.

Recently, producer KE Gnanavel Raja stated that the remuneration of Tamil actors should be streamlined. He said, "A big Telugu hero with Rs 100-crore business, charges just Rs 15 crore as his salary. Their heroes are reasonable and down to earth. In Kollywood, a hero in a similar stature charges almost Rs 50 crore as his salary. Most of our heroes are self-centered. We have a lot to learn from Tollywood."

The past couple of years have been testing times for producers in Kollywood. Many producers stated that they cannot keep up with the rising salary of top actors in the industry. Sometimes, their films might have done great business at the box-office, but the producer would still not rake in profits. The reason behind this is the huge remuneration Kollywood actors charge.

The salary of actors is almost half of the film's budget and for a film to actually breakeven is a huge task indeed.

The current plan of TFPC is to computerise the theatre tickets so that box-office collections are transparent. Once the council gets an idea of how much money does an actor's film make, their remuneration can be regularised accordingly.

Let us take a look at how much Kollywood's A-list actors earn per film.

RAJINIKANTH:
Superstar Rajinikanth has been ruling the roost since the 70s. It comes as no surprise that he sits on top of the ladder in this list. In 2007, Rajinikanth was paid a whopping Rs 55 crore for his role in Sivaji. At that time, he was the highest paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan. His last film, Kabali shattered box-office records and the actor earned about Rs 80 crores as his remuneration (this number also includes the shares of the movie's profits). It is said that Rajinikanth charges almost Rs 60 crore for each of his films.

KAMAL HAASAN:
Ulaganayan, however, doesn't really put a lot of burden on his producers. He usually charges Rs 15 to 30 crores for each film. Considering that his last couple of films were produced by himself, there are high chances that he didn't take his remuneration at all. If Kamal Haasan is involved in additional works such as direction or writing in other's production, he charges additional money.

VIJAY:
Thalapathi Vijay is the actor of this generation to even come close to what Rajinikanth is earning. It was announced that Vijay was paid Rs 30 crores for Chimbudevan's fantasy adventure film Puli. But, for Mersal, which was made at a lavish budget of Rs 130 crore, his salary would have been increased. Due to BJP's remarks against the film, Vijay and Mersal received unprecedented recognition across the globe. It looks like his salary would be on the rise for his upcoming projects.

AJITH:
The actor's previous release Vivegam, despite receiving mixed reviews, went on to rake in profits. At the end of its theatrical run, the film earned about Rs 167 crores making Vivegam his career best film. Ajith, who normally charges Rs 25 to 40 crores for a film, may increase his salary in future if his fourth collaboration with Siva does the magic.

SURIYA:
The Thaanaa Serndha Kootam actor commands a huge fan base in Tamil Nadu as well as in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Apart from his Tamil film, the dubbed version of his film also does great business for him. According to reports, Suriya charges anywhere between Rs 18 to 25 crores for his Tamil films. His dubbed films earn him close Rs 10 crore.

VIKRAM:
Vikram is one actor who goes to any extent to make his character look authentic on screen. He lost nearly 20 kilos to play the role of a hunchback in Shankar's I. The entire film fraternity was upset that he was not recognised with a National award. He works so hard for every film and charges a nominal rate of Rs 15 to Rs 20 crores per film. Of late, his films haven't been making profits.

DHANUSH:
Dhanush's film journey is an inspiration to many young talents. He doesn't have the looks or the physique to qualify as a hero. But, with time, he worked on his persona and today he's a Hollywood actor as well. According to sources, Dhanush, who is also a producer now, earns close Rs 20 crores per film. Also, his salary might be increased or decreased based on the production house he is working for.

SIMBU AKA STR:
Like Dhanush, STR is multi-faceted and he has proved his talents in films like Manmadhan and Vallavan. However, STR's career is in a lull phase as his last couple of films failed to rake in the moolah. Almost every filmmaker that he has worked within the last couple of years have complained about his unprofessional behaviour on the sets. Somehow, the actor's market seems to stay intact, thanks to his ardent fans. He charges close to Rs 10 crores for a film. The actor is looking to redeem himself with Mani Ratnam's upcoming film Chekka Chivantha Vaanam. He might increase his remuneration if they film becomes a huge hit.

ALSO SEE | Happy Birthday Rajinikanth: Thalaivar's untold love story with wife Latha Rangachari

ALSO SEE | Kamal Haasan slams casting couch, calls alleged sex scandal in TN college a 'shame'

ALSO WATCH | Cauvery water dispute: Tamil actors join protest demanding management board