In Tamil cinema, an actor's salary often reflects their market value. Today, top earners include Rajinikanth, Vijay, and Ajith, with reports suggesting Rajinikanth may earn up to ₹260 crore for his next film — though not officially confirmed.
Interestingly, a 1983 list of top-paid Tamil stars reveals Rajinikanth leading even then, earning ₹70 lakh. Sivaji Ganesan and Kamal Haasan followed with ₹50 lakh each. Actress Sridevi came fourth with ₹20 lakh, and Prabhu took the fifth spot with ₹15 lakh.
