With Varanasi, Priyanka Chopra surpasses Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt to become India’s highest paid actress

Priyanka Chopra is set to make a grand comeback to Indian cinema with SS Rajamouli’s epic new venture, Varanasi, and she’s already creating waves. The actress, who stars alongside Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran, has now reportedly become the highest-paid actress in India, overtaking Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt.

According to a report by Firstpost, Priyanka is being paid a staggering Rs 30 crore to play the role of Mandakini, a central character in Rajamouli’s pan-India spectacle. This fee places her at the very top of Bollywood’s pay scale for female actors.

The actress recently shared a behind-the-scenes reel from the film’s grand title reveal event, where she is seen practising Telugu. She humorously confessed that speaking the language “is more difficult in front of a live audience than in a movie.”

Varanasi marks the highly anticipated union of SS Rajamouli and Mahesh Babu, a pairing that fans have been waiting years for. Billed as the filmmaker’s most expansive project yet, the movie has already sparked nationwide buzz since its announcement.