India, June 21 -- It wasn't that long ago that a Rs.10 crore paycheck for an actor was jaw-dropping. In the 90s, Chiranjeevi, Kamal Haasan, and Sridevi became the first Indian stars to charge Rs.1 crore per movie. Over the next decade, the Khans became the highest-paid actors and increased their remuneration to staggering levels. As the scale of Indian films has increased over the last decade, regional stars have again come to dominate the standings, with the likes of Rajinikanth, Yash, and Allu Arjun routinely charging over Rs.200 crore per film. But in 2026, a Bollywood star has reclaimed the throne, and it is not one of the Khans.

Ranveer Singh is now the highest-paid actor in India, of his bumper payday from Dhurandhar. The actor led...