From Kamal Haasan to Vijay Sethupathi, meet the highest-paid villains of Indian cinema

In a never-before-heard scenario in the media and entertainment industry, actors have set new records for charging exorbitant fees for playing negative or villainous roles. In the past, Pran and Amrish Puri were the most sought-after actors to be cast in negative roles, but with lead actors like Saif Ali Khan, the role has been revitalised over time. However, superstars in the south charge much more than in the north. One such example is superstar Kamal Haasan, who charged an extraordinary amount for his upcoming sci-fi drama.

Latest projects

One of the most-anticipated projects is Prabhas’ upcoming sci-fi film, Project K, which stars superstar Kamal Hassan as the lead-antagonist alongside actor Deepika Padukone. As per several reports, the actor charged a whopping Rs 150 crore for his role. However, a recent The Times of India report suggests that Kamal Hassan has charged Rs 40 crore for a shoot of 25–30 days for this science fiction drama. This has made the Vikram actor one of the highest-paid villains in India.

Highest-paid villains in India

Earlier, another south superstar Vijay Sethupathi was among the highest paid villains in India for his work in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jawan. As per reports, the Tamil actor charged a whopping Rs 21 crore for his role. In an earlier instance, he charged Rs 15 crore for Kamal Haasan’s starrer Vikram.

Not just this, Bollywood actors like Saif Ali Khan were paid Rs 10 crore for Adipurush and Emraan Hashmi also received Rs 10 crore for Tiger 3. Actor-producer Fahadh Faasil has reportedly been paid Rs 6 crore for Pushpa 2. Others like Prakash Raj, earn Rs 1-1.5 crore per film, making him one of the highest-paid villains ever.

Project K’s cast and budget

The Nag Ashwin directed film, Project K, also features Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Disha Patani among others. One of the most awaited films, it has a reported budget of around Rs 600 crore, making it one of the most expensive films. The film is slated to release on Sankranti 2024.

Kamal Haasan has announced a collaboration with director Mani Ratnam after 35 years. Tentatively titled KH 234, the film will go on the floors sometime this year. He will also be seen in Indian 2 which is expected to release in January 2024.