Contrary to rumours that young sensation Sreeleela has hiked her remuneration to Rs 7 crore, a top producer, on condition of anonymity, has rubbished the reports. “These are baseless and false rumours,” he asserts.
He explains that Telugu heroines are typically paid more modest amounts, mainly because the market for Telugu cinema still has limited reach compared to true pan-India films. “Despite all the pan-India talk, Telugu producers have generally remained moderate in their payments to heroines,” he adds.
According to him, reigning actresses like Rashmika Mandanna, Tamannaah, Janhvi Kapoor, Sreeleela, Mrunal Thakuar and Shruti Haasan currently command anywhere between Rs 3 to 5 crore. “Rashmika has a slight edge over her contemporaries and could surpass Rs 5 crore with her next film, for her pan-India hits, but none of them are drawing Rs 7 or 8 crore — those numbers are simply not true,” he clarifies.
In contrast, Bollywood stars working in Telugu films draw significantly higher figures. “Priyanka Chopra is reportedly being paid Rs 30 crore for SSMM29, while Deepika Padukone pocketed around Rs 20 crore for Kalki 2898 AD,” he reveals.
He points out these figures aren’t just about acting fees but reflect the actors’ overall brand value: “They’re global names with international endorsements and millions of followers on social media. Their 20 to 30 million followers on Instagram or X add to their brand equity and widen the audience base, which justifies higher remuneration.”
No doubt, Telugu heroines are still far behind B-town divas when it comes to paycheques and the talk about pay parity remains good on paper.
