Top 10 Highest-Paid Telugu Actors Of 2023

Top 10 Highest-Paid Telugu Actors Of 2023

The Telugu film industry, popularly known as Tollywood, has witnessed tremendous growth and success over the years. With its unique storytelling, captivating performances, and grandeur, Tollywood has managed to captivate audiences not just in the southern region of India but across the globe. One of the defining factors contributing to any film industry's success is the star power and popularity of its actors. Tollywood actors hold significant sway over the box office and command a massive fan following.

As we are already into mid-2023, let’s take a look at the top-paid actors in the Telugu industry. From Allu Arjun, Prabhas, and Mahesh Babu to Chiranjeevi and several other top actors, they have honed their acting skills and expanded their horizons by taking on challenging roles, exploring different genres, and working on pan-Indian projects. These actors have not only established themselves as prominent figures but have also become synonymous with success, glamour, and excellence in the world of Telugu cinema. The astronomical figures associated with their paychecks reflect their immense talent, popularity, and commercial viability.

Tollywood boasts a plethora of talented actors, each with a unique style, versatility, and charisma. Some have proven their mettle over decades, while others have risen to prominence in recent years.

In this blog, we will delve into the careers and fortunes of the highest-paid actors in Tollywood. So, join us on this exciting journey as we shed light on the highest-paid Telugu actors of 2023 and explore the phenomenon behind their massive remuneration. Get ready to be enthralled by Tollywood's megastars' glitz, glamour, and irresistible charm.

Top 10 Highest-Paid Telugu Actors Of 2023

• Allu Arjun
• Prabhas
• Mahesh Babu
• Jr. N.T. R. 
• Ram Charan
• Pawan Kalyan
• Chiranjeevi
• Vijay Deverakonda
• Balakrishna
• Nani

1. Allu Arjun

Allu Arjun is an Indian actor who primarily appears in Telugu films. Arjun, one of India's highest-paid actors, is also renowned for his exceptional dancing abilities. He has won numerous honours, including three Nandi Awards and six Filmfare Awards. In 2003, Allu Arjun made his film debut with Gangotri. He gained notoriety by playing the lead role in Sukumar's 2004 cult masterpiece Arya, for which he won a Nandi Special Jury Award. With the action pictures Bunny (2005) and Desamuduru (2007), he solidified his reputation. 

He received his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Telugu in 2008 for his performance in the love story Parugu. He won various honours and acclaim for his work in Pushpa: The Rise, which became the highest-grossing Indian movie of 2021 and is one of the all-time best-grossing Telugu movies. In addition, the movie brought him his fourth Filmfare Award for Telugu's Best Actor. He won various honours and acclaim for his work in Pushpa: The Rise, which became the highest-grossing Indian movie of 2021 and is one of the all-time best-grossing Telugu movies.

In addition, the movie brought him his fourth Filmfare Award for Telugu's Best Actor. The highest-paid actor in Tollywood at the moment is Allu Arjun. After the success of Pushpa, Arjun now charges 125 crores for films. He increased his asking price following the great success of Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo and Pushpa: The Rise.

2. Prabhas

Uppalapati Venkata Suryanarayana Prabhas Raju is an Indian actor, also known by his stage name Prabhas, who primarily works in Telugu films. Based on his earnings and popularity, Prabhas is also known as one of the highest-paid actors in Indian film, has appeared on Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list three times since 2015. In addition to winning the Nandi Award and the SIIMA Award, he has been nominated for seven Filmfare Awards South. 

Prabhas played the titular character in S. S. Rajamouli's epic action blockbuster Baahubali: The Beginning, which became the fourth-highest-grossing Indian film of all time in 2015. He later returned in its sequel, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017), which made history by becoming the first Indian movie to ever earn over 1,000 crores (US$155 million) in just ten days and is the second-highest-grossing Indian film to date.

Prabhas is the second-highest-paid actor in the Telugu film industry, earning 100 crores per movie. With the incredible success of Baahubalai 1 and 2, he became well-known all over the world, and as a result, his market value dramatically rose.

3. Mahesh Babu

Indian actor, producer, media personality, and philanthropist Ghattamaneni Mahesh Babu predominantly appears in Telugu films. In addition to having roles in more than 25 films, he has received numerous awards, including eight Nandi Awards, five Filmfare Telugu Awards, four SIIMA Awards, three CineMAA Awards, and one IIFA Utsavam Award. He also owns the production company G. 

Mahesh Babu Entertainment and is one of the highest-paid Telugu cinema actors. He's one of the most well-known actors in Telugu films, and he goes by the name Prince in the media and among his fans. He is a humanitarian and philanthropist in addition to being an actor; he co-directs the charitable trust, and nonprofit organisation Heal A Child.

Mahesh Babu has long had a large fan base in the Telugu cinema industry. He is also one of the highest-paid Telugu actors after Allu Arjun. Just like Prabash, Mahesh is also offered 100 crores per movie due to his wonderful performance and huge fan base. 

4. Jr. N. T. R

Indian actor Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr., popularly referred to as Jr. N.T.R. or Tarak, primarily performs in Telugu films. Rama Rao Jr., one of the highest-paid Telugu film actors, has received numerous honours, including four CineMAA Awards, two state Nandi Awards, and two Filmfare Awards. He has been listed on Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2012. 

In Simhadri, Nannaku Prematho, and many other films, Jr. N.T.R. delivered a memorable performance. His star power in the industry has rapidly increased since the release of RRR. Since then, he has charged approximately between 50 and 100 crores for a movie.

5. Ram Charan

Indian actor, producer, and businessperson Konidela Ram Charan is a top-tier Telugu actor who has appeared in more than 30 films. He is one of the highest-paid performers in Indian film and a three-time Filmfare and two-time Nandi Award winner. He has appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2013. With the box office smash action movie Chirutha (2007), Charan made his acting debut and took home the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut - South. 

He gained notoriety for his role in S. S. Rajamouli's fantasy action movie Magadheera (2009), which was the highest-grossing Telugu movie ever. He also won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Telugu for his performance. Ram Charan selects his projects with great care, which also contributes to the blockbusters that he has been serving from the time of his debut. He makes between 50 and 100 crores per film thanks to his fame and prominence in the industry.

6. Pawan Kalyan

Actor, politician, filmmaker, and philanthropist Pawan Kalyan is from India. He mainly works in Telugu films. The supporters often refer to Pawan as Power Star. He has won the Santosham Film Award, the CineMAA Award, the SIIMA Award, and the Filmfare Award.

In 2013, 2017, and 2018, he appeared on Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list. Kalyan is Chiranjeevi's younger brother and made his film debut in 1996 with Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi. He appeared in Tholi Prema, a 1998 Telugu film that took home the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.

Pawan Kalyan determines his rates in accordance with the difficulties and problems of his films. His fees for each film range from 80 to 100 crore.

7. Chiranjeevi

Indian actor, producer, and former politician Chiranjeevi primarily works in Telugu movies. In addition to some films in Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada, Chiranjeevi appeared in over 150 Telugu-language feature films. He is recognised as one of Indian cinema's most prominent and successful performers.

He earned the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, three Nandi Awards, and nine Filmfare Awards South throughout the course of a more than four-decade-long cinema career. He received the Padma Bhushan in 2006, India's third-highest civilian decoration, in recognition of his contributions to Indian film. Chiranjeevi once held the title of the highest-paid actor in India. However, his current fee for each film is between 35 and 40 crores.

8. Vijay Deverakonda

Deverakonda Vijay Sai is an Indian actor and producer, better known by his stage name Vijay Deverakonda, who primarily works in Telugu movies. He has won a SIIMA Award, a Nandi Award, and a Filmfare Award. He has been listed in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2018. With Nuvvila (2011), Vijay Deverakonda made his acting debut.

He later won appreciation for his performance in the 2015 coming-of-age movie Yevade Subramanyam. He became a well-known film actor with the blockbusters Pelli Choopulu (2016) and Arjun Reddy (2017), for which he received the Filmfare Award for Best Actor - Telugu. 

He had further success after appearing in the films Taxiwaala (2018), Mahanati (2018), and Geetha Govindam (2018). His demeanour and the success of his films with young people after Arjun Reddy and Geetha Govindam raised his market value. As of 2023, Vijay charges between 30 and 45 crores for each picture.

9. Balakrishna

Nandamuri Balakrishna, sometimes referred to as Balakrishna, Balayya, or NBK, is a Telugu film actor, producer, and politician from India. Over the course of forty years, he played a range of parts in more than 100 Telugu films, becoming one of the top actors in the business. In addition to one South Indian International Movie Award, he received three Nandi Awards. Since 2014, he has served as an elected representative from the Hindupuram seat in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. 

With the release of Tatamma Kala (1974), Balakrishna made his cinematic debut as a young artist. Since then, he has played a variety of parts in more than a hundred feature films. Nandamuri Balakrishna represents the Telugu industry globally as its brand ambassador. Balakrishna is also one of the most honoured actors in the Telugu industry and, therefore, charges 20 to 30 crores for a movie.

10. Nani

Ghanta Naveen Babu, professionally known as Nani, is an Indian actor, producer, and television presenter best known for his work in Telugu film. Along with three Filmfare Best Actor nominations, he has won two Nandi Awards, two Filmfare Awards, and two more. D for Dopidi, which Nani produced in 2013, was a financial success at the movie office. 

Awe, his second film under the Wall Poster Cinema label, was similarly a critical and financial triumph in 2018. Film Companion named his performance in Jersey (2019) as one of the 100 Greatest Performances of the Decade. Nani is an actor who got into the industry independently and has succeeded in the movie business. Because of his loyal following and his back-to-back blockbusters, he charges between 15 and 25 crores per movie.

These were the top 10 highest-grossing actors in the Telugu film industry. Their talent, hard work, and popularity have propelled them to the forefront of the cinema world. As audiences continue to flock to theatres to witness their performances, these actors command the highest paychecks, solidifying their status as the reigning stars of Telugu cinema.