AD Bigger Than SRK, Prabhas, Allu Arjun?

In Indian cinema, the economics of stardom has changed dramatically over the last few decades.

What used to be astronomical fees for top stars are now the norm, and even supporting actors are getting paid big time.

The benchmark set in the 90s when Chiranjeevi became the first to charge ₹1 crore per film has been left far behind as the stakes and scale of filmmaking has gone up.

Ajay Devgn’s cameo in RRR is a perfect example of this new reality. For just 8 minutes on screen, Devgn reportedly got ₹35 crore which translates to an unprecedented ₹4.35 crore per minute – the highest paid Indian actor by this metric.

This fee beats even the biggest names like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Prabhas whose fees for lead roles in big films are substantial but pale in comparison when measured minute by minute.

While these figures show the immense star power of actors like Devgn, it also raises questions about the sustainability and fairness of such payment structures.

The economics of cameos, especially when they are equal to or more than lead actor fees, will change industry norms and expectations.

While star value is still a big draw, the focus has to be on content and storytelling to justify such huge investments.