Saravanan Sivakumar (born 23 July 1975), known by his stage name Suriya, is an Indian actor and film producer. He primarily works in Tamil cinema where he is one of the highest paid actors.[3][4][5][6] He has received numerous awards including two National Film Awards,[7] six Filmfare Awards South, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and two South Indian International Movie Awards.[8] Suriya has featured six times in the Celebrity 100 list of Forbes India, which takes into account the earnings of Indian celebrities.
Kamal Haasan (born Parthasarathy Srinivasan on 7 November 1955)[4] is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He has also appeared in some Malayalam, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Bengali films. He is regarded as one of the finest actors in the history of Indian cinema. Haasan is also known for introducing many new technologies and cosmetics to the Indian film industry.[5][6][7] He has won numerous accolades, including Four National Film Awards, Nine Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, Four Nandi Awards, One Rashtrapati Award, Two Filmfare Awards and 17 Filmfare Awards South. He was awarded the Kalaimamani Award in 1984, the Padma Shri in 1990, the Padma Bhushan in 2014 and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier) in 2016.[8]
Ajith Kumar (born 1 May 1971) is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. To date, he has starred in over 61 films, and his awards include four Vijay Awards, three Cinema Express Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. In addition to his acting career, Ajith is also a sports car racer and participated in the MRF Racing series (2010). He became a race car driver, competing in circuits around India in places such as Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi. He is one among very few Indians to race in the International arena and in Formula championships. Based on the annual earnings of Indian celebrities, he was included in the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list three times.[2]
Shivaji Rao Gaikwad[a] (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth (/rəˌdʒɪnɪˈkɑːnθ/ rə-JIN-ih-KAHNTH),[b] is an Indian actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema.[5] In a career spanning over five decades, he has done more than 160 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Malayalam. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful and popular actors in the history of Indian cinema.[6][7] Known for his uniquely styled lines and idiosyncrasies in films, he has a huge fan base internationally and has a cult following. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Bhushan in 2000, Padma Vibhushan in 2016, India's third and second highest civilian honours, and highest award in the field of cinema Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2019 for his contributions to Indian cinema.[8][9]
Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar (born 22 June 1974[2][3]), known professionally as Vijay, is an Indian actor and singer who works predominantly in Tamil cinema.[4][5] He is among the highest paid actors in India[6][7] and has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list on seven occasions.[8][9] He has played the lead in 66 films and the International Business Times framed him as a "consistent performer".[10] Referred to as Thalapathy (transl. Commander), Vijay has a significant following internationally.[11][6] He has won several awards, including an Osaka Best Actor Award and a South Indian International Movie Award.[12][13] In 2023, he became the highest paid actor in India and one of the top paid actors in the world