In India, when a film crosses ₹100 crore at the box office, it’s hailed as a blockbuster. But what if a hero earns ₹100 crore for a single film? That’s a sensation in itself. And it wasn’t Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Prabhas, Rajinikanth, or Vijay who started this trend. You’ll be surprised to know who did.
Trendsetter: For the first time in Indian cinema, Salman Khan made history by charging over ₹100 crore for a film. He crossed the mark in 2016 with the wrestling drama Sultan. A year later, he earned around ₹130 crore for Tiger Zinda Hai, changing the industry’s pay scale forever.
Smart Business Behind ₹100 Crore: Salman Khan didn’t rely on a fixed salary. Instead, he struck a deal to take 60–70% of the film’s profits. When Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai turned into massive box office hits, his earnings skyrocketed. This model has since inspired other top stars to follow suit.
Long before ₹100 crore paycheques, ₹1 crore itself was a milestone. The first actor to earn that was megastar Chiranjeevi, who charged ₹1 crore for Apadbandhavudu in 1992. At the time, he surpassed even Amitabh Bachchan’s pay, setting a national record. What was once a film’s total budget is now a single actor’s remuneration — proof of how much India’s film market and star power have grown.
Salman’s career shows no signs of slowing down. In 2023, Tiger 3 became another blockbuster in his lineup. Up next are two highly anticipated projects, the war drama Battle of Galwan and the much-awaited sequel Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2.