Tamil comedy actor Santhanam has reportedly increased his remuneration to Rs 9 Cr for his new horror-comedy Love Bite. He has successfully grown from being a top-tier comedian to a bankable lead actor over the last decade.
A similar trend is now unfolding in Telugu cinema with comedian Satya stepping into lead roles. In the past, prominent Telugu comedians like Saptagiri and Vennela Kishore tried to establish themselves as comedy heroes. Saptagiri headlined projects like Saptagiri Express, while Vennela Kishore recently starred in Chaari 111 and Brahma Anandam. Viva Harsha, Shakalaka Shankar, and Suhas have had mixed results. Priyadarshi has lost his form since Mallesham and Balagam. Sudigali Sudheer is trying to arrive on a strong note with Sudheer Joker.
Satya, on the other hand, is the only comedian currently experiencing a strong wave of popularity due to his impeccable comic timing. He has recently started exploring lead character opportunities (read Jetlee, which flopped at the box office). If Satya manages to find consistent BO success with his up-and-coming projects, his career graph could mirror that of Santhanam. If his upcoming movies (like the one with Yogi Babu) become hits, Satya will have arrived as a lead actor.
