Reports emerging from trade circles suggest that Salman Khan has agreed to do his forthcoming Hindi film with producer Dil Raju and Nayanthara without taking an upfront salary, while the South star Nayanthara is said to be drawing around ₹10 crore for playing the female lead. The move, framed as a profit‑sharing arrangement for Salman, underlines the shifting power dynamics around star pricing and hits a markedly different tone from the usual “whose fee is higher” conversations in big‑budget Bollywood productions.
Salman’s profit‑sharing route
Multiple entertainment outlets, citing unnamed industry sources, state that Salman Khan is foregoing his regular per‑film remuneration for this action‑packed, Vamshi Paidipally‑directed project and will instead receive a share of the film’s eventual profits. Although the exact percentage or structure of the deal has not been made public, the choice of a back‑end model highlights the actor’s confidence in the film’s commercial prospects and his long‑term relationship with the Telugu producer and director.
Even without his standard fee, the project is being mounted on a sizable budget estimated at ₹150–200 crore making it one of the most expensive collaborations to feature a pan‑India South‑centric package alongside mainstream Bollywood stardom.
Nayanthara’s ₹10‑crore pay tag
At the same time, reports peg Nayanthara’s remuneration at approximately ₹10 crore, positioning her as one of the highest‑paid female leads in a multi‑language Hindi‑centric production. This figure, if accurate, not only reflects the premium attached to her star power but also signals a growing trend of South actresses commanding Bollywood‑level fees for films that are designed to travel across multiple language‑markets.
The film will also feature Tamil actor Arvind Swamy in a key, “positive, non‑negative” role, with veteran Bollywood star Anil Kapoor in talks for a substantial action‑oriented part, rounding out the cast around Salman and Nayanthara. For audiences, the combination of a no‑upfront‑fee superstar, a ₹10‑crore‑female‑lead, and a big‑budget director‑producer combo makes this one of the most talked‑about Hindi projects on the 2026 slate, even before a formal title or release‑date announcement.
-Samuthiran
