Meet Highest-Paid South Indian Actress, Who Studied To Become A Doctor, Now Charges Rs 3- 6 Crore Per Film, Her Next Co-Star Is Ranbir Kapoor...

When we talk about the highest-paid South Indian actresses, one of the top contenders in the coveted list is this actress, who has risen to the reach for the higher slot - all thanks to her acting prowess and film choices. Her no make-up natural look is a big turn on for fans and she is hailed for not endorsing products which she doesn't believe in. Today, let's dig deeper to find out more about this actress who could actually today be a doctor: 

Sai Pallavi Senthamarai Kannan primarily works in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films.  Born to Senthamarai Kannan and Radha, she has a younger sister, Pooja Kannan, who has also worked as an actress. She did her schooling at Avila Convent School, Coimbatore. Despite completing her medical studies in 2016 from the Tbilisi State Medical University, she has not yet registered as a medical practitioner in India as she became an actress by then.

She took her Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) on 31 August 2020 in Trichy. Besides Badaga, Pallavi is fluent in Tamil, English, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Georgian.

She began in acting career with uncredited roles and dance show appearances, but her breakthrough came as Malar in the 2015 Malayalam film Premam. She won a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South, launching her into the South Indian film industry. In 2017, she ventured into Telugu cinema with Fidaa, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu.

Sai Pallavi has starred in the films Kali (2016), Middle Class Abbayi (2017), Maari 2 (2018), Paava Kadhaigal (2020), Love Story (2021), Shyam Singha Roy (2021), Gargi (2022), Amaran (2024) and Thandel (2025). 

The 32-year-old, who featured in Thandel, a Telugu romantic action thriller film opposite Naga Chaitanya, reportedly charges between Rs 3 - 15 crore per project. Sai Pallavi took home Rs 5 crore for Thandel, according to Jagran English. According to a Times of India report, Sai Pallavi, who will be seen in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana 2-Part Film, which features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama is charging Rs 6 crore for each of the three films.

She has over six Filmfare Awards South and two SIIMA Awards to her credit. One of South India's highest-paid actresses, she was featured by Forbes magazine as one of India's 30 Under 30 in 2020. Her performances in Gargi and Love Story earned the Filmfare Award for Best Actress in Tamil and Telugu, respectively, while her work in Shyam Singha Roy and Virata Parvam (2022) gained her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Telugu.

Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari's big-budget epic saga - Ramayana is being made in 2 parts. Ranbir Kapoor will essay the role of Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita and Yash as Ravana. One of the highest-paid South Indian actress Sai Pallavi, known for her acting chops and powerful screen presence will be seen playing Goddess Sita in the epic narrative. It will be her first film with Ranbir Kapoor.