Tholi Prema, the romantic drama, was released in 1998. A blockbuster hit, it featured Pawan Kalyan and Keerthi Reddy in leading roles.
Did you know how much Pawan, who was yet to become a mass hero at that time, received as fee for the movie? Just Rs 12 lakh. It was about twelve to fifteen times less than what the biggest star of the day, Megastar Chiranjeevi, used to be paid at that time.
Just a couple of years later, Pawan started commanding fees as high as his brother. By mid-2000s, he was already among the highest paid south Indian actors despite failures like Johnny and Balu. Today, his remuneration is in the range of Rs 40-50 Cr depending on his working days.
Ustaad Bhagat Singh hit the screens today (March 19). Directed by Harish Shankar, the film follows They Call Him OG, which grossed more than Rs 300 Cr. Mythri Movie Makers has produced UBS, co-starring R Parthiban, Sreeleela, and Raashii Khanna.
