In India, television continues to be one of the most effective entertainment channels, reaching millions of families in both urban and rural regions. For individuals of all ages, television remains the preferred form of entertainment due to its unparalleled accessibility and diversity of material, ranging from news and game programs to reality shows and daily soap operas. Television has a huge impact on society and is a necessary component of many families’ everyday lives, whether they live in a tiny town or a busy metropolis. In addition to being household names, TV stars are now among the highest-paid celebrities in the nation as a result of their enormous reach.

It is certainly no longer Bollywood’s impoverished cousin. Some of the largest profits in today’s entertainment business are made on TV sets rather than on the big screen.

A salary of Rs 100 crore used to be the stuff of movie actors’ fantasies, but these days, reality and daily soap opera stars may earn just as much money—sometimes in a matter of weeks. And Salman Khan himself is at the top of the group by a significant margin.

Salman Khan reportedly earned Rs 60 crore a month for Bigg Boss 18 in 2024, making him the highest-paid Indian TV celebrity, according to a Hindustan Times story. According to the source, “he made about Rs 250 crore for the 15-week season.” Additionally, there is speculation that “Salman may hike his fee even further in 2025” in light of the impending Bigg Boss 19 and Bigg Boss OTT 4.

He is not alone, however, in making a lot of money on the little screen. The Great Indian Kapil Show’s first season allegedly brought in Rs 60 crore for Kapil Sharma, making headlines as well. For the last season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, legendary star Amitabh Bachchan earned between Rs 4 crore and Rs 5 crore every episode.

Rupali Ganguly, the main actress in Anupamaa, is the highest-paid actress on Indian television, according to reports, earning Rs 3 lakh every episode.

Jannat Zubair, a social media influencer who is now a TV star, is also not far behind. She reportedly made around Rs 2 lakh each episode during her time on Laughter Challenge and Rs 18 lakh per episode during her time on Khatron Ke Khiladi.