Streaming has completely changed who gets to be a star in India. Actors who spent years playing small parts in films are now the biggest names in the country, all thanks to web series. And where fame goes, money follows. The highest paid OTT actors in India today take home amounts that can match, and in some cases beat, what film heroes earn.
For this list, we have only included actors who have built a genuine body of work on streaming, with at least five web series or OTT movies to their name. These are proper OTT stars, not film actors who tried one show and moved on. Their reported salaries will surprise you.
Here is the shocking salary of the 10 highest paid OTT actors in India:
1. Jaideep Ahlawat reportedly earned Rs 20 crore for Paatal Lok Season 2
No actor has seen a bigger jump on OTT than Jaideep Ahlawat. He was paid a modest Rs 40 lakh for the first season of Paatal Lok. By the time the second season arrived, his fee had reportedly grown fifty times to around Rs 20 crore. That is what happens when a show becomes a cultural moment and the lead actor becomes its face. Beyond Paatal Lok, Jaideep has delivered strong OTT work in Maharaj, Jaane Jaan, An Action Hero and The Family Man, which makes him one of the busiest names in the streaming world. According to a report by Koimoi, his Paatal Lok fee is now double what Pankaj Tripathi earned for the latest season of Mirzapur.
2. Saif Ali Khan was paid Rs 15 crore for each season of Sacred Games
Saif Ali Khan took a gamble when most film stars would not touch streaming, and it paid off in a big way. His role as Sartaj Singh in Sacred Games on Netflix reportedly earned him Rs 15 crore per season, which means around Rs 30 crore from the show in total. He stayed in the web space with Tandav and later with direct-to-streaming films, keeping himself among the most expensive names on OTT.
3. Pankaj Tripathi took home around Rs 10 crore for Mirzapur
Kaleen Bhaiya remains one of the most loved characters, along with the highest-paid OTT actors Indian streaming has ever produced. Pankaj Tripathi was reportedly paid Rs 10 crore for the latest season of Mirzapur, and reports also suggest he earned around Rs 10 to 12 crore for Sacred Games. With Mirzapur, Sacred Games, Criminal Justice and several OTT films behind him, Pankaj Tripathi has quietly become one of the richest and most respected faces of Indian web series.
4. Manoj Bajpayee earns around Rs 10 crore per season of The Family Man
Srikant Tiwari is a character India simply cannot get enough of. As per Wion’s latest article, Manoj Bajpayee reportedly earns around Rs 10 crore for a season of The Family Man on Prime Video. He also has a long list of OTT films to his name, including Silence, Despatch, Gulmohar, Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai and Killer Soup, making him one of the most consistent performers on streaming. Every new season of The Family Man only pushes his value higher.
5. Nawazuddin Siddiqui earned Rs 10 crore for Sacred Games Season 2
Ganesh Gaitonde turned Nawazuddin Siddiqui into a streaming legend. His work in the first season of Sacred Games raised his market value so much that he reportedly took home Rs 10 crore for the second season. He has stayed busy on OTT ever since, with films like Serious Men, Raat Akeli Hai, Haddi and Rautu Ka Raaz keeping him firmly among the highest paid OTT actors in India.
6. Radhika Apte made around Rs 4 crore from Sacred Games
Radhika Apte is often called the face of Indian OTT, and her filmography proves why. She has appeared in Sacred Games, Ghoul, Lust Stories, Raat Akeli Hai, Vikram Vedha, Mrs Undercover and many more. She reportedly earned around Rs 4 crore for Sacred Games despite limited screen time, which made her one of the best paid actresses in the streaming space. Her fee has only grown with every project since.
7. Vikrant Massey reportedly charges around Rs 3 crore for a direct OTT release
Vikrant Massey started with Mirzapur and Broken But Beautiful and slowly became one of the most trusted names on streaming. His fee grew to around Rs 1.5 crore per film, with a smart clause in his contracts that adds another Rs 1.5 crore if the film releases directly on a streaming platform. That takes his direct OTT payday to roughly Rs 3 crore. With hits like Haseen Dillruba, Sector 36, Forensic and Love Hostel, he owns one of the strongest OTT track records among younger actors.
8. Ali Fazal earns Rs 12 lakh per episode of Mirzapur
Guddu Bhaiya carries Mirzapur on his shoulders, and the makers pay him well for it. Ali Fazal reportedly earns Rs 12 lakh per episode of Mirzapur, which adds up to a very healthy amount over a full season. He has also worked in Ray, Mithya and international projects, keeping his overall earnings among the best in the web series world.
9. Pratik Gandhi earned Rs 50 lakh for Scam 1992, and his fee has multiplied since
Scam 1992 made Pratik Gandhi a star overnight. He reportedly earned around Rs 50 lakh for the entire first season, which was big money for a relative newcomer at that stage. After the show became one of the highest rated Indian series ever, his fee shot up several times over. He has since headlined multiple OTT shows and films, and producers today pay a premium to have him lead their projects.
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10. Jitendra Kumar reportedly earns Rs 70,000 per episode of Panchayat
This one always surprises people. Despite Panchayat being one of the most loved shows in the country, Jitendra Kumar reportedly earns around Rs 70,000 per episode, which comes to about Rs 5.6 lakh for a full season. Some older reports had claimed much higher numbers, but a recent report by Business Standard paints a more modest picture. What Jitendra lacks in per-episode fees, he makes up in volume and brand value, with Kota Factory, Jaadugar, Dry Day and several other OTT titles keeping his overall earnings strong.
Conclusion
The salaries of the highest paid OTT actors in India show just how much streaming has changed the game. Actors like Jaideep Ahlawat and Pankaj Tripathi, who once played side roles in films, now command crores per season. At the same time, the numbers prove that OTT pay is not always predictable, as Jitendra Kumar’s Panchayat fee shows. One thing is clear though. Web series stardom is real stardom now, and the paychecks are only getting bigger.
Note: All salary figures mentioned above are based on media reports and are not officially confirmed by the actors or platforms.