Bigg Boss Remuneration: How Much Salman Khan, Nagarjuna, Kamal Haasan and Mohanlal Charge

Bigg Boss is one of India’s most successful reality television franchises. The show runs in several regional languages, and alongside dramatic tasks and eliminations, the hosts’ star power plays a key role in sustaining audience interest. The following is a summary of the reported remuneration paid to major celebrity hosts in recent seasons.

The Hindi version offers the highest pay scale due to its massive national viewership. Salman Khan, the long-time weekend host, remains the highest paid among all Bigg Boss anchors. Reports once claimed that he earned almost Rs 1,000 crore across more than 13 seasons, but Salman rejected those claims. Industry sources indicate that his initial fee was around Rs 12 crore per week, which later increased to nearly Rs 25 crore for each episode. For Bigg Boss 16, Salman reportedly charged about Rs 43 crore for every episode.

In Tamil, veteran actor Kamal Haasan is believed to have received nearly Rs 130 crore for Season 7. For the next two seasons, actor Vijay Sethupathi reportedly took over hosting duties and earned around Rs 50 crore.

Bigg Boss Kannada began in 2013 with actor Kichcha Sudeep hosting 11 seasons. Under an agreement with Colors in 2015, Sudeep initially signed a contract worth around Rs 20 crore for five years. Reports suggest that his remuneration increased sharply in later seasons, prompting comparisons with Salman Khan’s fee.

In Kerala, Mohanlal hosts the Malayalam version, which launched in 2018. Sources indicate that he was paid around Rs 12 crore for the first season, while the latest season reportedly increased his pay to about Rs 24 crore.

In the Telugu edition, Nagarjuna Akkineni hosted until Season 6. Early estimates indicate that he earned around Rs 12 lakh per episode, adding up to roughly Rs 12 crore for the season. His remuneration later rose to about Rs 15 crore. Recent reports suggest that his pay further increased to nearly Rs 30 crore.

These figures underscore the rising commercial value of the Bigg Boss franchise and the crucial role of high-profile hosts in attracting viewership across regional markets.