Anirudh Ravichander becomes India’s highest-paid musician, charging Rs 10 crore per album

Anirudh Ravichander has emerged as India’s highest-paid musician, reportedly earning a staggering Rs 10 crore per album.


Known for his work in Tamil films starring Rajinikanth, Vijay, Kamal Hassan, and others in the lead, Anirudh has recently surpassed AR Rahman, long considered the country’s most bankable music composer.



Anirudh made his Bollywood debut with the music for Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan, where he charged Rs 10 crore according to News 18 reports, surpassing AR Rahman’s usual fee of Rs 7-8 crore per project.

Though Anirudh later reduced his fees to Rs 8 crore for films like ‘Leo’ and ‘Jailer’, he remains India’s top composer, constantly delivering hit music.

The most prominent example of Anirudh’s musical impact was witnessed in the film ‘Devara’. Even though the Jr NTR starrer was below average, the songs from the film turned out to be a superhit.

Compared to other renowned composers like Pritam, Vishal-Shekhar, MM Keeravani, and Yuvan Shankar Raja, who charge under Rs 5 crore per film, Anirudh’s earnings set a new benchmark in the Indian music industry. Singers, too, usually charge much lower fees, ranging from Rs 15-20 lakh per song, making Anirudh’s achievements even more remarkable.

On the work front, Anirudh is roped in for the upcoming Nani starrer ‘The Paradise’ which is directed by the ‘Devara’ fame Srikanth Odela. Anirudh’s previous outing was for ‘Devara’ and the ETimes exclusive review hails Anirudh’s music composition for the movie. A part of our exclusive review reads, “Anirudh Ravichander’s background score is another highlight, adding intensity to the action scenes and breathing life into otherwise dull moments. While the visual effects and CGI are well-integrated, there is still room for improvement. The cliffhanger, intended to build anticipation for Devara: Part 2, feels forced, lacking the impact seen in other major cinematic sagas. The scene evokes memories of the iconic moment in Baahubali: Part 1, leaving audiences with the question, “Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali?” However, in Devara, this moment doesn't resonate as strongly while it attempts to leave a similar sense of intrigue.”