How a 72-year-old beat Shah Rukh, Salman Khan, Prabhas to become India's highest-paid actor, makes ₹270 crore per film

Even at the age of 72, this superstar commanded enough box office pull to shade even Shah Rukh Khan in his best year in films.

In the late 90s and early 2000s, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth was going through a slump. His stardom had waned, many argued, as his films flopped one after the other. But in his 50s, the actor got a second wind with the success of Chandramukhi and Enthiran. But it was the late 2010s that truly marked the second coming of the superstar. His films pushed the envelope at the box office, competing with and beating even Bollywood biggies. This allowed the veteran actor to charge a premium and, in time, even leave younger superstars behind with his fee. (

This 72 year-old star became India's highest-paid actor beating younger superstars.

How Rajinikanth became India's highest-paid actor at 72

In 2023, at the age of 72, Rajinikanth starred in Nelson Dilipkumar's Jailer. The film proved to be the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year, raking in over ₹600 crore. The actor had charged ₹110 crore for the film, including up front fees and rights. But upon the success, the film's producer - Kalanithi Maaran - presented the actor with a bonus of ₹100 crore. This earning of ₹210 crore from a single film helped Rajinikanth become the highest-paid actor in India, beating younger stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Prabhas, all of whom take home somewhere between ₹150-200 crore per film, depending on the box office performance.

Rajinikanth earned ₹210 crore for his 2023 blockbuster, Jailer.

Rajinikanth's mind-boggling fees at 74

Rajinikanth has continued to charge astronomical amounts for his films in the two years since, even though none of his films since have touched the heights that Jailer did. As per reports, the actor stands to earn ₹270 crore for Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie if it turns up a profit. That is among the highest paydays for any actor in Indian cinema history. However, Rajinikanth has been left behind in the list of India's highest-paid actors. He now stands behind Vijay ( ₹275 crore for his final film) and Allu Arjun ( ₹300 crore for Pushpa 2). However, none of these figures are verified.