Kamal Haasan: Did you know Kamal Haasan’s first salary was just Rs 500? Here’s how he now earns over Rs 100 crore per film | Tamil Movie News

Kamal Haasan has built one of the most amazing careers in Indian cinema. He has constantly reinvented himself over the last six decades, from a child artiste to an actor, filmmaker, writer, producer and entrepreneur. Kamal has continued to be one of the country’s biggest stars, known for taking on difficult roles and using new techniques in filmmaking. His success is not only reflected in his accolades and box office successes but also in the way his compensation has risen in tandem 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 artiste 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, News 18 reported. His market value steadily increased through the 1980s and early 1990s before he created history in 1994 by reportedly becoming the first Indian actor to command a remuneration of Rs 1 crore for a single film with ‘Mahanadhi.‘ Kamal Haasan later began experimenting with revenue-sharing instead of fixed salaries.In a recent movie event, producer H. Murali said that for the film ‘Avvai Shanmugi,’ Kamal Haasan opted to take 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 regular salary.

Bigger films and television made Kamal’s earnings soar

Kamal Haasan’s fees kept increasing as his career graph soared high. He was reportedly paid Rs 130 crore for his role in ‘Kalki 2898 AD,’ and later reports claimed he was paid close to Rs 150 crore for the sequel. Besides his movies, Kamal Haasan also became one of the highest-paid hosts in Indian television through Bigg Boss Tamil, earning around Rs 130 crore per season. Many times, he has received credit for having made one of the smartest business decisions in his life due to his willingness to accept profit-sharing and distribution deals very early on in his career. Since then, the model has inspired many stars and producers to adopt similar business strategies.

Veteran star continues to headline ambitious projects

Kamal Haasan is an extremely busy artist despite having been in the film industry for many years. His last movie, ‘Thug Life,’ was directed by Mani Ratnam and released in 2025. This experienced actor is all set to appear in the sequel to ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, playing the same character, and he will also star alongside Rajinikanth in the upcoming movie ‘KHxRK’.