The OTT boom has redefined stardom in India. Once considered secondary to mainstream cinema, web platforms have birthed a new breed of household names. Today, OTT actors command not just massive fanbases, but also jaw-dropping fees—rivaling and even surpassing big-screen icons. So, who’s minting the most from the digital goldmine in 2025? Let’s decode the faces behind the fortune.
Manoj Bajpayee – The Reluctant King of OTT
If there is one name synonymous with OTT dominance, it’s Manoj Bajpayee. With his role as Srikant Tiwari in Amazon Prime’s The Family Man, Bajpayee went from critically acclaimed actor to pan-India superstar.
According to a March 2025 feature in The Hindu, Bajpayee now earns ₹15 crore per season, making him one of the highest-paid actors in the OTT space. The actor recently won the Best Actor (Web Series) award at the 2024 Filmfare OTT Awards, cementing his place as a digital-era legend.
Bajpayee himself confessed in an Indian Express interview, “I never imagined this kind of mass love coming from a web series. It changed my career, and more importantly, it changed how people see content.”
Pankaj Tripathi – The Sultan of Stream
Pankaj Tripathi’s rise from a struggling actor in Bihar to one of the most bankable OTT stars is nothing short of cinematic. His portrayal of Kaleen Bhaiya in Netflix’s Mirzapur catapulted him to cult status. By 2025, Tripathi charges ₹12–14 crore per season, as per a Mid-Day report.
His success isn’t just commercial. Tripathi was awarded the Padma Shri in 2023 and also bagged the Best Supporting Actor at the 2024 IWM Digital Awards for his work in Criminal Justice: Adhura Sach.
In his own words from a Times of India interview: “OTT gave me a space where I could act freely. People began recognizing me not just as a good actor but as someone who can lead a series.”
Sobhita Dhulipala – The Queen of Global Screens
With Made in Heaven Season 2 trending globally and Netflix’s The Night Manager remake fetching rave reviews, Sobhita Dhulipala has emerged as one of the most sought-after OTT actors in India.
She reportedly charges ₹3–4 crore per series, a huge leap from her early acting days. Her recent appearance at the BAFTA Breakthrough India initiative got international attention, as reported by The Indian Express.
Sobhita, in a candid Hindustan Times piece, reflected: “Digital gave women layered roles. I no longer had to play just the love interest. I could be complex, flawed, and powerful.”
Jaideep Ahlawat – The Dark Horse Who Dazzled
Not every OTT star was born famous. Jaideep Ahlawat, best known for Paatal Lok, became an overnight sensation with his brooding role as Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary. In 2025, Ahlawat reportedly earns ₹5–6 crore per show, a far cry from his early theatre days.
In an Outlook India feature, Ahlawat shared how he lived in a rented flat in Versova, doing odd jobs before landing his breakthrough role. His portrayal even earned him the Best Actor at the Filmfare OTT Awards 2023.
Shefali Shah – The Veteran Leading a New Wave
Shefali Shah’s commanding presence in Delhi Crime made her a global name. The show won India’s first International Emmy for Best Drama Series in 2020, and Shah’s role has only grown more impactful.
In 2025, she commands ₹4–5 crore per season, and rightly so. Her performance in Human and Delhi Crime Season 2 earned rave reviews worldwide, with mentions in Variety and Hollywood Reporter.
Shefali once told The Quint: “OTT gave me the best roles of my career—roles Bollywood never offered me in two decades.”
Emerging Stars: The Fresh Faces Raking Big Bucks
The OTT boom hasn’t just helped veterans—it has launched careers.
- Tanya Maniktala, the breakout star of A Suitable Boy and Tooth Pari, reportedly charges ₹1 crore+ per project.
- Gagan Arora, known for College Romance and Tabbar, has signed three new OTT projects in 2025, each worth ₹1.5–2 crore, as per Bollywood Hungama.
The Platform Game: Who’s Paying the Big Bucks?
Amazon Prime and Netflix continue to lead the OTT salary war, but newer players like JioCinema and SonyLIV have started shelling out premium budgets. A Mint report in January 2025 highlighted that top actors can now earn up to 40% of a web series’ total budget, a stark contrast to just 10% in 2019.
The Future of OTT Stardom
Streaming content in India is no longer “Plan B” for actors. It’s the main stage. With increasing investment in original Indian content and global platforms eyeing regional markets, the earning potential of OTT actors is set to skyrocket.
Director Neeraj Pandey, whose 2025 series Black Horizon features a multi-star OTT cast, commented in a recent Scroll.in article: “Actors aren’t chasing cinema anymore. They’re chasing great writing—and OTT is where it lives now.”
The Digital Dynasty Has Arrived
From Manoj Bajpayee’s grounded charisma to Shefali Shah’s fiery realism, OTT has not only created stars but rewritten the rules of Indian entertainment economics. As 2025 unfolds, these actors aren’t just performing—they’re defining a new era.
The question isn’t who will be the next superstar. It’s what platform they’ll rule from—because the crown of Indian entertainment has clearly moved online.
