Top 10 Highest Paid South Indian Actresses in 2025: Nayanthara to Sai Pallavi

South Indian film industry that covers states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh and generates a good amount of income among emerging actresses. One prominent such actress is Nayanthara, who is said to be one of the highest-paid South Indian actresses, well-known for her performances in films such as Aramm and Viswasam. The actress made her debut in Bollywood with “Jawan” and later sold all the rights of her wedding documentary to Netflix for Rs 25 crores.

Others are Trisha Krishnan and the famous Rashmika Mandanna. They are also doing great with the blockbuster hit, the “Pushpa series.” The collections are also a reflection of how much they have grown as performers in these past times; thereby, they prove that the Indian subcontinent over-the-region and over-the-language reality surely exists.

The rise in South Indian cinema also marks a trend wherein women’s roles have become both on and off-screen. It helps them be national icons and real-life role models for the girls of the region. So, this article looks at the careers and earnings of these highest-paid South Indian actresses and the way they got to their success, along with what drives their economic and actual cultural impact.

1. Trisha Krishnan

• Remuneration Per Movie: ₹10 crore to ₹12 crore
• Net Worth: ₹85 crore

Trisha Krishnan, popularly acclaimed as the Queen of South India, is an actress with one of the highest remunerations in South Indian cinema, charging anything between ₹10 crore and ₹12 crore per movie, with her net worth being ₹85 crore. She entered the Tamil film industry after winning the Miss Chennai 1999 contest with her supporting role in Jodi (1999) before she got her first lead role in Mounam Pesiyadhe (2002).

Her awards include five Filmfare Awards South, Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, and Nandi Awards, which reflect more than 20 years in the industry! She has also worked in Malayalam films, Hindi films, and Kannada films to be heralded as a leading actress in Indian cinema.

2. Nayanthara

• Remuneration Per Movie: ₹7 crore to ₹10 crore
• Net Worth: ₹200 crore

South Indian film star Nayanthara, popularly known as “Lady Superstar,” is among the most paid actresses in the industry. Charging between Rs 7 crores to Rs 10 crores per film, she is worth about Rs 200 crores in net value, which guarantees her rank as one of the most bankable stars.

In 2003, she began her acting career in a Malayalam film called Manassinakkare and immediately diversified herself to the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages with films like Ayya (2005), Lakshmi (2006), and Super (2010); she made her Bollywood debut in 2023 along with Shah Rukh Khan in Jawan to further establish her pan-Indian footing.

Celebrated for her versatility and strong performance skills, Nayanthara has reigned as a queen in South Indian cinema for two decades now, featuring in more than 75 films. She was the only South Indian actress to be named in Forbes India’s “Celebrity 100” list in 2018, proving her influence and commercial success. Five Filmfare Awards South, one Tamil Nadu State Film Award, one Nandi Award, and seven SIIMA Awards make her one of the most awarded actresses.

3. Sai Pallavi

• Remuneration Per Movie: ₹3 crore to 15 crore
• Net Worth: ₹47 crore

This South Indian movie actress has a net worth of ₹47 crores. Sai Pallavi received widespread recognition for acting as the protagonist in the Malayalam film Premam (2015), for which she also won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South. Fidaa (2017), her Telugu debut, won her another FilmFare in the Best Actress – Telugu category.

In that year, she gained a reputation as the actress who’d work with some very strong papers in often very good scripts as their criteria for judging success. The actress cum dancer also featured into Forbes India’s “30 Under 30” list in 2020 and has brought six Filmfare Awards South and two South Indian International Movie Awards to her credit. The assets are now valued at ₹47 crore, which renders her among one of the most sought and respected actresses in South Indian cinema.

4. Rashmika Mandanna

• Remuneration Per Movie: ₹4 crore to ₹10 crore
• Net Worth: ₹66 crore

Rashmika Mandanna, a South Indian actress, rakes in about Rs. 4 crore to Rs. 10 crore per movie. Most people would guess her net worth at around 66 crores. She started acting with the Kannada film Kirik Party (2016), and became well known when some great hits like Anjani Putra and Chamak came into her life during 2017.

Rashmika made her debut in Tollywood with the film Geetha Govindam, for which she received the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Telugu in 2018. With this film, she gained footprints all across the country with Pushpa: The Rise (2021) and experimented with roles in Sita Ramam (2022) and Bollywood films after that. Her much-anticipated Hindi films failed to make a mark, but she bounced back with Animal (2023), Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024), and Chhaava (2025).

5. Samantha Ruth Prabhu

• Remuneration Per Movie: ₹3 crore to ₹8 crore
• Net Worth: ₹100 crore

Known as Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who is one of South India’s elite actresses, she charges between ₹3 crore and ₹8 crore per film, with an estimated net worth of about ₹100 crore. She started her career as a model and entered the acting industry with the Telugu romantic drama Ye Maaya Chesave (2010). 

She has become the second actress to win both Filmfare Best Actress awards for Tamil and Telugu in one year, for Neethaane En Ponvasantham (2012) and Eega (2012). 

Prabhu’s unforgettable performances have been cherished in Tamil and Telugu cinema, with several awards, including 4 Filmfare Awards South, 2 Nandi Awards, and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.

6. Srinidhi Shetty

• Remuneration Per Movie: ₹7 crore
• Net Worth: ₹20 crore

Srinidhi Shetty is one of the top-paid actresses in South Indian cinema, earning around ₹7 crore per film and is worth ₹20 crore. The actress came into prominence as a beauty queen and model when she earned the title of Miss Supranational 2016 and made her acting debut in KGF: Chapter 1 (2018), a blockbuster Kannada action film. 

She reprised her character in KGF: Chapter 2 (2022), for which she won an SIIMA Award for Best Actress – Kannada. Besides acting, she also holds an eminent position in the fashion and entertainment industry and has been often featured in Bangalore Times’ lists of Most Desirable Women.

7. Anushka Shetty

• Remuneration Per Movie: ₹5 crore to ₹7 crore
• Net Worth: ₹130 crores

Anushka Shetty, one of the richest actresses in South Indian films, earns between ₹5 crore to ₹7 crore per film and has a net worth of ₹130 crore. Her film debut, Super (2005), earned her a Filmfare nomination; however, she gained massive popularity with the S. S. Rajamouli film Vikramarkudu (2006).

More than 50 films Anushka can boast of credits for, including many blockbusters and several strong performances in movies like Arundhati, Baahubali, and Bhaagamathie. A winner of many accolades, which include three Filmfare Awards South, two Nandi awards, and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award. The actress, who received the Kalaimamani award in 2010, dominates the industry forever.

8. Pooja Hegde

• Remuneration Per Movie: ₹4 crore to ₹7 crore
• Net Worth: ₹55-60 crore

Pooja Hegde, currently, ranks among the top-paid actresses in South India, charging about ₹4 to ₹7 crore for each of her films and worth nearly around ₹55-60 crore. She kick-started her career as a second-runner up in the Miss Universe India 2010 pageant and gradually transitioned into acting.

She debuted in films with Mugamoodi and made her mark in Telugu films through Oka Laila Kosam. Pooja made her Bollywood debut with the much-hyped film Mohenjo Daro in 2016 but has become the most-valued actress in Telugu cinema due to groundbreaking projects and successful performances. The four-time award winner in SIIMA is still growing in stature.

9. Tamannaah Bhatia

• Remuneration Per Movie: ₹4 crore to ₹5 crore
• Net Worth: ₹120 crore

Tamannaah Bhatia earns ₹4 crores to ₹5 crores per film and has a net worth of ₹120 crores; she is among the highest-paid actresses in Telugu and Tamil cinema. She started her acting with a Hindi film, Chand Sa Roshan Chehra (2005), before entering Tollywood in Sree (2005) and Tamil cinema with Kedi (2006).

Tamannaah’s career, spanning over 85 films, has established her as a leading actress in the Telugu and Tamil industries. Her numerous award nominations include the Santosham Film Awards and SIIMA Awards, while she is also an awardee of the coveted Kalaimamani Award. They say she is an actress with versatility; to this day, she remains an outstanding actress in Indian cinema.

10. Mrunal Thakur

• Remuneration Per Movie: ₹3 crore to ₹5 crore
• Net Worth: ₹33 crore

Coming up among the budding stars in South Indian cinema, Mrunal Thakur earns between ₹3 crore and ₹5 crore per film and has a net worth of around ₹33 crore. Her official debut was in TV shows, and she will be mostly remembered when her show Kumkum Bhagya (2014-2016) earned her fame with the ITA Award.

She made her Bollywood entry with Love Sonia (2018) and made her place through the successful films like Super 30 and Batla House (2019). After a small slump in her career, she was able to reach great heights with her Sita Ramam (2022), for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu, and Hi Nanna (2023), which made her one of the highest-paid actresses in South India.

List of Highest Paid South Indian Actresses

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