Apr 21, 2025 01:20 PM IST
India’s highest-paid filmmaker charges even more than Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan for one film.
It is true that stars appear on the posters of the film and lead much of the promotional campaign, too. For most big Indian films, the lead actors are what draw the crowds. Hence, they are paid handsomely too. But there are a few film directors who rival even the biggest stars in terms of influence and popularity. One of these even rivals superstars in terms of remuneration, leaving even the biggest names in dust with his extremely high paycheck. (Also read: ₹30 crore per film, has no release in 6 years, yet beat Deepika, Alia Bhatt, Kareena”>India’s highest-paid actress earns ₹30 crore per film, has no release in 6 years, yet beat Deepika, Alia Bhatt, Kareena)
India’s highest-paid filmmaker
Telugu filmmaker SS Rajamouli is India’s highest-paid film director right now. According to IMDd, the director charges around ₹200 crore for every film he directs. Trade insiders inform that this includes his upfront fees, profit share, and bonus for the sale of rights. The more a film earns, the higher his share can go. For RRR, it was around ₹200 crore. Rajamouli has built up to this amount due to the success of his Baahubali franchise. The ₹200-crore payday makes Rajamouli one of the highest-paid film artists in the country. Even superstars like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan take home something from ₹150-180 crore per film, a lower sum than what Rajamouli earns.
Why Rajamouli charges a fee so high
The high pay reflects the filmmaker’s superstar status among filmmakers. RRR was marketed in the north as Rajamouli’s film despite the presence of two big stars – Ram Charan and Jr NTR. This is because the success of Baahubali films has allowed him to be a pan-India face. Baahubali 2 earned ₹510 crore in Hindi alone, and remained the highest-grossing film in Hindi for six years till it was surpassed by Pathaan in 2023. Similarly, RRR also earned over ₹270 crore in Hindi.
Other highly-paid directors of Indian cinema
According to industry sources, no other director charges even half of what Rajamouli does, with big names like Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Prasanth Neel charging around ₹90 crore per film. Rajkumar Hirani takes home ₹80 crore, while Sukumar, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Lokesh Kanagaraj, and Siddharth Anand bring up the rear, with each charging in excess of ₹40 crore per film. Makers like Karan Johar and Rohit Shetty usually produce their own films, which is why they forego fees and only take in profits.
