Tollywood Celebs Opt for Both Remuneration and Profit Shares: Allu Arjun, Jr. NTR, Prabhas, Siddu, and More!

In Tollywood, a new model of earnings is gaining momentum—where top actors and directors are not just content with their standard paychecks but are also securing a piece of the film's earnings. This approach, once followed by only a select few, is now being embraced widely across the industry.

Superstar Mahesh Babu, in the early stages of his career, would list family members as part of his film’s crew, offering them token payments. However, he later moved away from this method. Stylish star Allu Arjun too initially helped relatives like Nagababu through similar means. But his outlook changed with Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, where his home production company was said to have claimed half of the movie's profits.

For Pushpa 2, it’s rumored that Allu Arjun decided against taking a fixed amount and instead secured around 27.5% of the overall business. Interestingly, for his upcoming collaboration with director Atlee, sources indicate that he’s returning to a traditional high-payment route without any share in profits. However, for his film with Trivikram Srinivas, there’s buzz that he might once again involve Geetha Arts for a share in the profits.

Young actor Siddu Jonnalagadda, for his film Jack, opted for a modest upfront payment while retaining the rights for the Nizam region—an approach that many feel is more producer-friendly.

Megastar Chiranjeevi is also treading the profit-sharing path. For his upcoming ₹75 crore project with Anil Ravipudi, his daughter’s production banner is expected to hold a 50% stake in the film’s earnings.

Also read: NTR Reposts Pic With Sukumar: Fans Hope for New Film!

Meanwhile, NTR often ropes in his own banner, NTR Arts, to take part in the profits—a move that reportedly contributed to shelving his earlier project with Trivikram. Unlike them, actors like Prabhas and Ram Charan continue to stick to high fixed charges, staying away from revenue-based deals.

Among filmmakers, names like S.S. Rajamouli, Sukumar, and Trivikram Srinivas have already set a precedent by earning a cut of the box office success. Sukumar and Trivikram go a step further by using their own banners to formalize their share.

In a new development, actress Samyukta Menon has emerged as the first heroine to step into this model. She’s splitting her income between a fixed salary and a share of the profits, routing the latter through her own production label.

With more stars leaning towards ownership in film earnings, the line between actor and producer continues to blur in Tollywood.