Bigg Boss Hosts’ Fees: Salman Khan, Nagarjuna, Mohanlal, Vijay Sethupathi, Kichcha Sudeepa — Who Earns the Most?
Bigg Boss franchise is one of the biggest reality television brands in India. Not only contestants and controversies but celebrities sitting on host’s chair too get all the attention (Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali editions).
Several of India’s most popular stars have been guiding contestants, dealing with conflicts every week and interacting with viewers every single week latest seasons have renewed interest again and who pays for celebrity hosts that has become a major talking point.
The biggest names associated with the franchise are Salman Khan, Nagarjuna Akkineni, Mohanlal, Vijay Sethupathi, Kichcha Sudeepa and Sourav Ganguly. Their reported earnings vary widely depending on language edition, number of episodes, duration of season and individual contracts but from figures quoted in media reports Salman Khan remains comfortably at the top.
Salman Khan Reportedly Remains the Highest-Paid Bigg Boss Host
Salman Khan has become almost synonymous with Bigg Boss Hindi. Salman started hosting the Hindi version from Season 4 and has been its most recognisable face for years. His association with the show has made weekend episodes a TV event.
Variety India states that Salman Khan’s remuneration for an entire season is ₹200 crore. His reported weekend fee is said to be around ₹15 crore (or more) depending on the season and contract arrangement.
If these reported figures are true then Salman is by far the highest paid host in Bigg Boss franchise. His huge popularity, association with show for years and ability to draw audiences are said to be major reasons behind his premium remuneration.
Sourav Ganguly’s Reported Bigg Boss Bangla Fee
Bengali edition also has a major celebrity in the chair. Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly is associated with Bigg Boss Bangla Season 3 and reports have pegged his overall package at more than ₹125 crore.
Ganguly is popular well beyond cricket and his presence gives the Bengali version star power. If this figure is correct then he would be one of the highest paid stars in the franchise’s history.
However, as with all the other reported figures, the exact amount could be different depending on contract structure, promotional commitments and number of episodes.
Vijay Sethupathi’s Reported Earnings From Bigg Boss Tamil
Vijay Sethupathi took over as the host of Bigg Boss Tamil after Kamal Haasan quit the show. The popular Tamil actor brought a different style and personality to the show and viewers were very interested in him.
Vijay Sethupathi is said to be earning ₹3 crore — ₹4 crore per weekend. Total earnings for an entire season would be around ₹75 crore — ₹80 crore.
The actor’s entry into reality television hosting is another big expansion of the franchise star appeal. His reputation in Tamil cinema has kept the show visible after change of hosts.
Nagarjuna’s Bigg Boss Telugu Remuneration Has Reportedly Increased
Nagarjuna Akkineni has been one of the most popular faces of Bigg Boss Telugu. He took over hosting duties in 2019 and has been associated with the programme ever since.
Reports say that his fee has gone up over the years. When Nagarjuna reportedly started hosting it, his fee was around ₹10 crore; by 2025 reports put his fee at nearly ₹35 crore per season.
The reported jump is evidence of the popularity of the Telugu edition and Nagarjuna’s value as host. His long association with the programme has made him one of the most recognisable regional hosts in Bigg Boss universe.
Mohanlal’s Reported Bigg Boss Malayalam Fee
Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has hosted Bigg Boss Malayalam since its first season and is still associated with the reality show. He has been an important part of establishing the programme among Malayalam television audiences.
According to media reports Mohanlal earns close to ₹30 crore per season. Reports have also suggested that he shoots for about 20 days for the programme (although exact working schedule can vary).
With Mohanlal’s stature in Malayalam cinema his reported salary makes him one of the franchise’s highest paid regional hosts.
Kichcha Sudeepa’s Bigg Boss Kannada Earnings
Kichcha Sudeepa is another veteran host of Bigg Boss franchise. Kannada superstar has been part of Bigg Boss Kannada for several seasons now and has a very strong connect with the show’s audience.
Sudeepa is reportedly paid ₹20 crore for a season and his remuneration works out to be around ₹2 crore per weekend episode.
His association with the Kannada version has made him part of the programme’s identity. His reported fee is much less than Salman Khan’s but still one of the highest among regional Bigg Boss hosts.
Who Earns the Most?
According to the figures reported, Salman Khan is clearly the highest paid Bigg Boss host with his estimated seasonal remuneration of around ₹200 crore ahead of all other stars.
Sourav Ganguly's reported package of more than ₹125 crore is also huge. Vijay Sethupathi with an estimated ₹75-80 crore seasonal earnings ranks among the top regional hosts. Nagarjuna, Mohanlal and Kichcha Sudeepa reportedly earn ₹35 crore, ₹30 crore and ₹20 crore respectively.
These figures show how much commercial value is attached to the role of host. Bigg Boss relies on its celebrity hosts to keep viewers engaged, deal with controversial situations and build anticipation around weekend episodes.
Celebrity remuneration figures given by entertainment publications are not necessarily official. Contracts may contain different components (per-episode payments, promotional commitments, bonuses etc.) so the exact amounts paid to individual hosts might be different from those in the media estimates.
But the reported figures still give an interesting insight into the economics of India’s biggest reality television franchise. Regional editions continue to command huge hosting fees but Salman Khan’s long association with Bigg Boss Hindi makes him the undisputed king when it comes to reported earnings (regional editions have not been included in these reports).
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