Gone are the days when Television was considered as the poor cousin of the Big Screen. Well, not more definitely. Today, television has become huge and is giving a tough competition to its counterpart Bollywood. Nowadays, we can see many big shots of Bollywood hosting TV reality shows.

The industry has grown manifold over the last couple of decades, not just in the production or budget, even the TV actors’ remuneration is at par with our film stars. There’s no denying the fact that actors on TV have to work under far more demanding conditions than their Bollywood counterparts, with entire one episode being shot within a day.

There are many actors who are not into Bollywood, the bigger entertainment industry in India, and not as popular as those in it, but earn hefty amount, with many getting more than those in the Bollywood. Indian television’s popularity is at its peak now with numerous channels providing a steady stream of soap operas to meet audiences’ daily dose of entertainment.

The producers are ready to pay whopping amounts to the top television actors like Ram Kapoor, Ronit Roy, Divyanka Tripathi and Hina Khan. Below are a few of these actors who earn more than the Bollywood actors. Here’s the list of top actors on Indian television and their current remunerations.

Mind you, the numbers are for per episode.

1. Hina Khan – Rs 1 Lakh To 1.25 Lakh Per Episode

No one is bothered whether she has the same expression for every emotion, ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ star Akshara aka Hina Khan charges a whopping amount of Rs 1-1.25 lakh per episode. She is also one of the highest paid television actresses today. She is also famed for being listed in the “Top 50 Sexiest Asian Women” in 2013-14.

2. Ronit Roy – Rs 1.25 Lakh Per Episode

He is one actor who comfortably switched sides between Bollywood and television. He is best known for his character in ‘Kasautii Zindagi Kay’ as Rishabh Bajaj and ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ as Mihir Virani. Said to be one of Ekta Kapoor’s favorite actors, Ronit Roy charges Rs. 1.25 lakh per episode. He also has a policy that allows him to work for only 15 days a month.

3. Divyanka Tripathi – Rs 80,000 To 1 Lakh Per Episode

She is one of the television’s most favorite bahu. Divyanka rose to fame as Ishita from her current show ‘Yeh Hain Mohabbatein.’ Her earlier show ‘Banu Mai Teri Dulhan’ was also a hit and she also won the Indian Television Academy award for Best Actress in the drama category. Divyanka Tripathi is paid Rs 80,000 – 1 lakh per episode.

4. Ram Kapoor – Rs. 1.25 Lakh Per Episode

Sakshi Tanwar’s Bade Achhe Lagte Hai co-star Ram Kapoor is one of the favorites of Ekta Kapoor. We recently saw him playing Katrina Kaif’s funny father in Baar Baar Dekho.

While Kapoor has been greatly lauded for his work in shows like ‘Ghar Ek Mandir’, ‘Rishtey’, and ‘Kasamh Se’, he received maximum attention and fame for his role in ‘Bade Ache Lagte Hain’. He has also broken many barriers in Indian television by being the first person to lock lips with his co-star Sakshi Tanwar. Now, he charges a whopping Rs 1.25 lakh per episode.

5. Saakshi Tanwar – Rs 80,000 Per Episode

Sakshi began her career as an anchor on Doordarshan and later gained immense popularity for the role of Parvati Aggarwal in ‘Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki’. She acted in several TV shows like  Balika Vadhu, Crime Patrol, etc. She also starred opposite Ram Kapoor in ‘Bade Ache Lagte Hain’, which was the turning point of her career.

Saakshi went on to act as Aamir Khan’s wife in Dangal. Sakshi has won several awards including the Indian Telly Award (Best Actress), Star Guild Awards (Best Actress), Star Parivaar Award (Favorite Bhabhi), and ITA Award (Best Actress). She now charges Rs 80,000 per episode.

6. Shivaji Satham – Rs 1 Lakh Per Episode

He is very well known as ACP Pradyuman from one of the longest running shows on Indian television, C.I.D. He is one of the main reasons why this show has been running continuously for over 18 years now. The acting was not Satham’s first career choice. Before taking to acting, he worked as a cashier at Central Bank of India. Shivaji Satham charges Rs 1 lakh per episode.

7. Ankita Lokhande – Rs 90,000 To 1.5 Lakh Per Episode

She might have disappeared from the TV scene for a while now, but her personal life and on-screen association with actor Sushant Singh Rajput keeps her in the news. She is known as Archana Deshmukh from Pavitra Rishta which was loved by many. The character played a prominent role to become the established actress today. Ankita quotes between Rs 90,000 to 1.5 lakh per episode.

8. Mohit Raina – Rs 1 Lakh Per Episode

Mohit Raina started his acting career with a science fiction TV show called ‘Antariksh’. Later, he donned a character which is completely contrasted to it and it is the role of Lord Shiva in Devon Ke Dev – Mahadev. With this, he got a massive female fan following and they keep swooning over his chiseled physique. Currently, he receives Rs. 1 lakh per episode for playing King Ashoka Samrat in ‘Asoka’.

9. Drashti Dhami – Rs 60,000 Per Episode

She is one of the most beautiful televisions actresses. She is currently playing the role of Rani in Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani. And she receives Rs. 60,000 per episode.

10. Mishal Raheja – Rs 1.6 Lakh Per Episode

Mishal Raheja started his acting career in 2005 on a show by MTV called ‘Pyaar Vyar and All That’. While he played Datta Bhau in Laagi Tujhse Lagan which gained him huge recognition, he is currently seen as Viplav in Ishq Ka Rang safed. Mishal is one of the highest paid actors on television too. And he confidently demands Rs. 1.6 lakh per episode.

11. Karan Patel – Rs 1 Lakh To 1.25 Lakh Per Episode

Karan Patel started his career with ‘Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki’ in 2000. He grabbed the attention of the viewers as Raman Bhalla in Yeh Hai Mohabbatein. He garnered quite a few awards including the Best Actor at Zee Gold Awards (2014-16), Best Romantic Actor at the Indian Television Academy Award (2015), and Best Actor at the Indian Telly Awards. He currently demands Rs. 1 lakh for each episode.