Mumbai: OTT has provided space for actors to experiment by taking up diverse roles. The viewership of the content has also grown due to the pandemic. Big names like Saif Ali Khan, Ajay Devgn and Samantha Ruth Prabhu are now on OTT in movies as well as shows.
Actors like Radhika Apte, Manoj Bajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui have left their mark on the industry by being a part of these OTT productions, and are now considered the OTT royalty and are earning well. The actors are paid in crores for a single production by platforms like Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, SonyLIV, Amazon Prime and others.
Here is a list of the highest-paid OTT actors
1. Ajay Devgn
Devgn made his OTT debut with the crime thriller production based on the British show Luther. According to reports, the actor charged a whopping fee of Rs 125 crore. Rudra: The Edge of Darkness is now streaming on Disney+ Hostar and is receiving positive reviews.
2. Saif Ali Khan
After a series of flops at the box office with Rangoon, Kalakandi, Chef and Baazaar, the actor saw a chance for revival with the OTT show Sacred Games. The actor received critical acclaim for his portrayal of the character Sartaj Singh. As per reports, Saif charged Rs 15 crores, for 8 episodes of the first season.
3. Pankaj Tripathi
The actor rose to fame following his portrayal of the character of Sultan in the cult classic Gangs of Wasseypur. The actor then took over the OTT platforms with Mirzapur on Amazon Prime and Sacred Games on Netflix. The actor was reportedly paid Rs 10 to 12 crore for the shows.
4. Manoj Bajpayee
According to reports, Manoj Bajpayee charged Rs 10 crores for the second season of his critically acclaimed thriller series The Family Man. The show is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
5. Nawazuddin Siddiqui
For the second season of the crime thriller series The Sacred Games, the actor was paid Rs 10 crores. Siddiqui received much appreciation for his acting as the crime lord Ganesh Gaitonde.
6. Radhika Apte
Also known as the queen of OTT, the actress has done numerous shows and movies released on the platforms. Apte was paid Rs. 4 crores for her role in Sacred Games. The actress can be seen in her new show, Mrs Undercover streaming on Zee5.
7. Samantha Ruth Prabhu
For her role in The Family Man 2, the actress reportedly charged Rs 4 crore. The Telugu actress made her debut with the critically acclaimed show.
The OTT platforms have taken over the industry. Actors and actresses are looking for more opportunities on accessible platforms. Even though actresses like Radhika Apte have much more presence on the platforms, there is still a huge discrepancy in the pay. While the Indian movie industry has gone through a revolution in terms of the wage gap, OTT platforms still have a long way to go
| Edited by Rasti Amena | 
