Kamal Haasan has built one of the most amazing careers in Indian cinema. He has constantly reinvented himself over the past six decades, from a child artist to an actor, filmmaker, writer, producer and entrepreneur. Kamal has remained one of the country’s biggest stars, known for taking on challenging roles and using new techniques in cinema. His success is not only reflected in his accolades and box office hits, but also in the way his compensation has increased along with his unparalleled contributions to the world of Indian cinema.
From starting with Rs 500 to one of India’s highest paid stars, Kamal Haasan’s salary hike
Kamal Haasan’s first salary was as a child artist in the 1960 classic ‘Kalathur Kannamma’, for which he was reportedly paid Rs 500. Years later, he got his big break as a lead actor in ‘Apoorva Raagangal’ (1975) and earned Rs 5,000, reports News 18. His market value rose steadily throughout the 1980s and early 1990s before he made history in 1994, reportedly becoming the first Indian actor to be paid Rs 1 crore for a single film with ‘Mahanadhi.Kamal Haasan later started experimenting with income sharing instead of fixed salaries.At a recent film event, producer H. Murali said that for the film ‘Avvai Shanmugi’, Kamal Haasan chose to take the distribution rights in four territories instead of his remuneration of Rs 1.5 crore. The decision turned out to be a huge success, and the actor is said to have earned around Rs 5 crore, much more than a normal salary.
Bigger movies and TV made Kamal’s earnings skyrocket
Kamal Haasan’s fees kept increasing as his career graph soared. He was reportedly paid Rs 130 crore for his role in “Kalki 2898 AD”, and later reports claimed that he was paid close to Rs 150 crore for the sequel. Apart from his films, Kamal Haasan also became one of the highest paid presenters on Indian television through Big Boss Tamilearning about 130 million rupees per season. Many times, he has been credited with making one of the smartest business decisions of his life due to his willingness to accept profit-sharing and profit-sharing arrangements very early in his career. Since then, the model has inspired many stars and producers to adopt similar business strategies.
The veteran star continues to front ambitious projects
Kamal Haasan is an extremely busy artist despite being in the film industry for many years. His latest film ‘Thug Life’ was directed by Mani Ratnam and released in 2025. This seasoned actor is all set to appear in the sequel of ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, playing the same character, and will also star opposite Rajinikanth in the upcoming film ‘KHxRK’.