Bollywood's New Pay Queen: Priyanka Chopra's ₹30 Crore Deal Leaves All Behind

Breaking records in Bollywood’s pay parity debate, Priyanka Chopra Jonas has emerged as India’s highest-paid actress, commanding an unprecedented ₹30 crore for her role in SS Rajamouli’s upcoming jungle-action film SSMB29. This marks her return to Indian cinema after a six-year hiatus and her first South Indian project in over two decades.

 

The Quantico actress's charge exceeds peers such as Deepika Padukone (₹20 crore for Kalki 2898 AD) and Alia Bhatt (₹15 crore a movie). Industry sources point to Priyanka's international standing and tenacious negotiation as critical considerations, with one source observing, "Why should only male stars draw double-digit crores?"

 

Though Nayanthara (₹10 crore per movie) and Kareena Kapoor (₹10-18 crore) continue to top the pay scales, Priyanka's new deal sets the bar higher. Her last on-screen outing was The Sky Is Pink in 2019, but she was busy internationally with Citadel and The Matrix Resurrections. SSMB29's shoot, split between Thailand and India, finds her sharing screen space with Mahesh Babu in a "desi Rambo" getup.

 

The pay gap debate intensifies as actors such as Katrina Kaif and Kiara Advani rake in ₹10-15 crore. Priyanka's record fee highlights changing dynamics, though male actors remain dominant with ₹100+ crore cheques.

 

Source: Hindustan Times