Top 11 Most Popular South Indian Actors in 2024-2025 (According to both Ormax & IKL Lists)

Prabhas is an Indian actor who works in Telugu cinema. One of the highest-paid and highest-grossing actor in Indian cinema. Prabhas is hailed as the "First Pan-Indian Superstar". Prabhas was born in a Telugu family to late U. Suryanarayana Raju and Siva Kumari. His family hails from Mogalthur, Andhra Pradesh. He is the youngest of three children and is the nephew of Telugu actor Uppalapati Krishnam Raju. Prabhas did his schooling at Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Chennai, and at DNR High School, Bhimavaram. He then completed his intermediate education from Nalanda College, Hyderabad. He later went on to pursue Bachelor of Technology (BTech) from Sri Chaitanya College, Hyderabad.

Prabhas made his acting debut with drama Eeswar, and later attained his breakthrough with the action romance Varsham. He went on to act in other commercially successful films such as Chatrapathi, Bujjigadu, Billa, Darling, Mr. Perfect, and Mirchi winning the Nandi Award for Best Actor for his performance in the lattermost. He went on to play a dual role in the epic action film Baahubali: The Beginning which received national and international acclaim, and became a record-breaking box office success. He reprised his role in the sequel, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion which rewrote several box office records and emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film at that point, establishing Prabhas as the first pan-Indian star. Commercial success has since varied, with action thrillers Saaho and Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire, both of which rank among the highest-grossing Indian films. He is the first Indian actor ever to have four 100+ crore opening films worldwide, a feat unheard of in Indian cinema.

Prabhas is referred to in the media and by his fandom as the "Rebel Star" and "Darling", he has appeared in over 20 films, and earned numerous accolades. He has been featuring in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2015. He was added to the Forever Desirable list of Hyderabad Times in 2019. He was the most searched actor on Google for the year 2019. He is the only actor from south cinema to feature in the magazine Eastern Eye's 2019 listing of the 10 Sexiest Asian Men. He was also featured in the GQ in their listing of the most influential young Indians of 2017. Prabhas stood alone as the only Indian actor in the "Top 10 Most Used Hashtags on Twitter" list in 2023.

Known for his action star persona, N.T. Rama Rao Jr. , commonly referred to as Tarak or Jr NTR is the grandson of legendary Telugu actor and politician N.T. Rama Rao. Tarak is the most successful star from Nandamuri family working in the Telugu film industry.

Tarak was born on 20th May 1983 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (currently in Telangana), India to Nandamuri Harikrishna and Shalini Rao. Tarak learnt the Kuchipudi dance form in his early childhood and gave many stage performances in India and abroad.

Tarak was selected by acclaimed Telugu director Gunasekhar to star as the mythological character Lord Ram in the children's film Ramayanam (1996), marking his debut in movies. After starring in a few TV serials, he made his adult debut in movies with Ninnu Choodalani (2001) directed by V.R. Pratap. He has since then starred in over thirty movies in leading roles. He is the recipient of two Filmfare Awards, two Nandi awards and four CineMAA awards.

Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar (born 22 June 1974), known mononymously as Vijay, is an Indian actor, dancer, playback singer and philanthropist who works predominantly in Tamil cinema and also appeared in other Indian languages films. Referred to by fans and media as "Thalapathy" (commander), Vijay is the highest paid actor in Tamil cinema. He has significant fan following globally. He has won numerous awards, including eight Vijay Awards by Star India, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards by Government of Tamil Nadu, and a SIIMA Award. He has been included several times in the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list, based on the earnings of Indian celebrities.

Allu Arjun nicknamed Bunny was born on April 8, 1980. His father, Allu Aravind, is a famous producer and his uncle, Chiranjeevi is one of the top actors in the Telugu industry. Also, he is the grandson of late comedian Padmashree Allu Ramalingaiah. He is well-known as stylish star for his unique way of acting and dancing. He is also known for changing his hair and body for each movie that he does. He has starred in 21 movies so far and most of them are super hits. His Acting In The Movie Pushpa Is His Best And Gave Him A National Award and As Of Now Pushpa 2-The Rule Is The Highest Grossed Film In India An All Time Blockbuster Besides being a illustrious actor and Best Dancer In Telugu Film Industry, Allu Arjun gives back to his community and shows to be a successful role-model. Every year on his birthday, April 8th, he donates blood and attends functions for physically and mentally challenged kids. Allu Arjun Has The Highest Fan Base In Telugu Film Industry.

Konidela Ram Charan is an Indian actor, producer and entrepreneur who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He is one of the highest-paid actors in Indian cinema and has featured in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2013. Ram Charan is the recipient of several National & International awards. Ram Charan was born in a Telugu family to influential Indian Telugu film actor Chiranjeevi and his wife Surekha. Ram Charan's family hails from Andhra Pradesh. Ram is an equestrian has learnt horse-riding in his childhood. In September 2011, he started his own polo team Ram Charan Hyderabad Polo Riding Club.

Ram Charan made his acting debut with the action film Chirutha (2007), a box office hit, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut - South. He rose to prominence starring in S.S.Rajamouli's fantasy action film Magadheera (2009), the highest-grossing Telugu film of all time at the time of its release. Charan achieved further commercial success with the blockbusters Rangasthalam (2018),Telugu, and RRR (2022), which currently ranks as the third-highest-grossing Indian film of all time and his highest grosser. Charan emerged as a Pan-Indian star with RRR and earned international recognition, including a nomination at the Critics' Choice Super Awards for Best Actor.

In 2016, Charan launched his own production house Konidela Production Company. Beyond his film career, he owns the polo team Hyderabad Polo and Riding Club and was a co-owner of the Airline service TruJet.

Ram Charan takes part in the 41-days-long Ayyappa Deeksha (Vratham), which is done on a yearly basis in Sabarimala. He started this practice in 2008. Charan stated that "this spiritual living is like a detox holiday for him to de-stress, take healthy and simple food and maintaining inner peace from his chaotic shooting schedules and uncertain mundane things" and said that his father Chiranjeevi had inspired him in following the Deeksha.

Ghattamaneni Mahesh Babu is an Indian actor, producer, media personality, and philanthropist who works mainly in Telugu cinema. He was born on 9 August 1975 in a Telugu family in Madras (now Chennai), India. One of the most popular & one of the highest-paid Indian film actors. Referred to in the media and by his fans as "Superstar". In addition to being an actor, he is a humanitarian & philanthropist - co running the charitable trust and non-profit organisation "Heal A Child". Mahesh Babu gives 30% of his annual income to charities, and most of his philanthropic activities are unpublicised because he prefers them to be so.

He is the fourth of the five children of Legendary Telugu actor Krishna and his wife Indira. Their family hails from Burripalem in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. He was educated at St. Bede's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Chennai. He obtained a bachelor's degree in commerce from the Loyola College, Chennai.

Mahesh made his debut as a child artist at the age of four in a cameo role in Needa (1979) and acted in eight other films as a child artist. He made his debut as a lead actor with Rajakumarudu (1999) which won him the Nandi Award for Best Male Debut.[3] Babu achieved his breakthrough with the supernatural drama Murari (2001), and the action film Okkadu (2003). He went on to act in other commercially successful films such as Arjun (2004), Athadu (2005), Pokiri (2006), Dookudu (2011), Businessman (2012), Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu (2013), Srimanthudu (2015), Bharat Ane Nenu (2018), Maharshi (2019), Sarileru Neekevvaru (2020) and Sarkaru Vaari Paata (2022). Pokiri held the record of being the highest-grossing Telugu film, Maharshi won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film.

Suriya was born to actor Sivakumar and his wife Lakshmi in Chennai but brought up in Coimbatore. He is the eldest of three children; his younger brother is actor Karthi Sivakumar and he has a younger sister named Brindha Sivakumar. He attended PSBB School and St. Bede's School in Chennai and graduated from Loyola College with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

Before his career in films, Suriya worked at a garment export factory for eight months. To avoid nepotism, he did not reveal himself to his boss as Sivakumar's son, but his boss ultimately learned the truth himself. He was initially offered the lead role by Director Vasanth in his film Aasai (1995), but he rejected the offer citing a lack of interest in an acting career. He later debuted in Vasanth's own 1997 film Nerrukku Ner, produced by Mani Ratnam when he was 22 years of age. The stage name Suriya was bestowed on him by Ratnam to avoid a clash of names with established actor Saravanan. Vijay, who would also go on to become a leading contemporary actor in Kollywood, co-starred with him in the film. This was followed by a series of roles in commercially unsuccessful films in the late 1990s. In 2001, he starred in Siddique's comedy film Friends, also co-starring Vijay, which became a super hit. His major break in acting came in the form of Nandha, which was directed by Bala. Playing the role of an ex-convict who is very attached to his mother, he received a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor. His next venture was Vikraman's Unnai Ninaithu followed by Mounam Pesiyadhe directed by debutant Ameer Sultan, which became a hit film & a cult classic.

In 2003, he starred in Gautham Menon's Kaakha Kaakha, a film about the life of a police officer. The film opened to positive reviews and became a Blockbuster at the box office. Suriya also received an ITFA award for Best Actor for his role in the film. Next, his portrayal of a happy-go-lucky village crook with a comic touch in Bala's Pithamagan, along with Vikram, won him the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2004, he played dual roles in Perazhagan, as an aggressive boxer and a handicapped phone booth keeper. Suriya's performance won positive reviews from critics. The film became a successful venture at the box office, and Suriya won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor. The same year, he portrayed the role of a student leader in Mani Ratnam's political drama Ayitha Ezhuthu along with Madhavan and Siddarth which received highly critical acclaim and became a commercial success.

Suriya signed on to feature in the psychological thriller, Ghajini directed by A. R. Murugadoss in November 2004; he played the role of a patient suffering from short-term memory loss. Ghajini was released in late 2005 and became a Blockbuster and was the third highest-grossing film of that year in Tamil. Suriya's role was unanimously praised. Later he worked in Hari's action film Aaru and the film received a positive response at the box office.

Suriya's 2006 release was N. Krishna's Sillunu Oru Kaadhal. He acted opposite his wife Jyothika Saravanan in the film, which took a good opening but became an average grosser. In 2007, Suriya's solitary release was Vel, which became a hit at the box office. His next release was Vaaranam Aayiram, a collaboration with Gautham Menon, after the success of Kaakha Kaakha. Playing dual roles for the third time in his career, Suriya appeared as father and son, portraying scenes as a 16-year-old and as a 65-year-old. Suriya described the project as "unique" and "straight from the heart", describing the physical hardships he endured during the making. He lost weight and prepared a six-pack for the film through an eight-month fitness regime without steroids, with the movie being a trendsetter for other leading actors from South India. The film became commercially successful at the box office upon release and received positive reviews from film critics, with Suriya's performance being lauded. His portrayals also fetched him several notable awards, including the Filmfare Award for Best Actor, a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor by the jury and the Vijay Award for Best Actor in 2008. The film also went on to receive a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil in 2008.

In 2009, Suriya's first release was K. V. Anand's action-thriller Ayan, which went on to become the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year. Upon release, the film won positive reviews and Suriya's performance was again acclaimed. He found himself nominated for leading awards and won the Vijay Award for Entertainer of the Year. The film's success saw Suriya emerge as the most profitable leading actor in Tamil films, following a hat trick of large commercial hits. Following Ayan, his next film, K. S. Ravikumar's action entertainer Aadhavan also achieved commercial success, while Suriya's depiction of a hitman was praised.

In 2010, he had his 25th release with Singam directed by Hari, in which he played the role of 'Durai Singam', a police officer from a small village going to work in the city. The film received positive reviews and became a huge commercial success. The film won Suriya the Vijay Award for Best Entertainer again and subsequently went on to become the second highest-grossing film of the year. He made his Bollywood debut in Ram Gopal Varma's two-part political drama Rakta Charitra in 2010 which was released to highly critical acclaim and became an average success. His only release in 2011 that featured him in a starring role was A. R. Murugadoss's science fiction thriller 7aum Arivu. Suriya played dual roles in the film, as a circus artist and as the Buddhist monk, Bodhidharma, who lived in the 6th century. The film met with mixed reception but was a commercial success. His only 2012 release was the K. V. Anand-directed film Maattrraan in which he played the role of conjoined twins, Vimalan and Akhilan. The film received mixed reviews, and, ended up being an average grosser while Suriya's performance was praised. In January 2012, Suriya was named as the official host of the new game show to be presented on STAR Vijay, Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi, the Tamil version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which began airing on 27 February 2012 and ended on 12 July.

His next film was Singam 2, a sequel to his 2010 film Singam, that released on 5 July 2013 to positive response from the public. The film received a huge opening, becoming the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year and emerged as one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of all time, collecting more than 100 crores worldwide. His next film Anjaan directed by N. Lingusamy was released on 15 August 2014 to negative reviews. The film had one of the biggest openings ever in Tamil Cinema and Suriya's best but became a below-average venture at the box office. His next release was Venkat Prabhu's film Masss, which was released to mixed reviews. His only film in 2016 was his home production 24 directed by Vikram Kumar which hit the screens on 6 May 2016. The film, based on the concept of time travel, featured Suriya in triple roles. The film met with unanimous critical acclaim, and became a commercial success, grossing more than 100 crores worldwide. Suriya's performance, especially the character 'Athreya' was much praised. His first release in 2017 was Singam 3, the sequel to his earlier films Singam & Singam 2. The film was released on 9 February 2017 to mostly positive reviews from the public. It had one of the biggest worldwide openings for a Tamil film, and Suriya's biggest yet, and eventually grossed 100 crores worldwide in just 6 days of its release. Suriya's next film in 2017 is with director Vignesh Shivan for Thaanaa Serndha Koottam. Thaana Serndha Kootam was released at the beginning of 2018. Followed by this, Suriya also did a Cameo in his brother, Karthi's film - "Kadaikutty Singham". In 2019, he partnered with Selvaraghavan for NGK - a political drama that received mixed reviews from the public and critics. His next release was Kaapaan, an action thriller, in which he shared the screen with Arya and Mohanlal. The movie was a commercial success and the final directorial venture of K.V. Anand before the filmmaker's demise on 30th April 2021.

2020 and 2021 marked the years Suriya worked on "Soorarai Pottru" and "Jai Bhim" with Sudha Kongara and T. J. Gnanavel respectively. Both these films were produced by his production banner 2D Entertainment. Soorarai Pottru was praised by the public, critics and film people. The movie went on to bag 5 awards at the 68th National Awards for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor (Suriya), Best Actress and Best Original Score. Jai Bhim was lauded for its craftsmanship and the message it delivered to the society. In addition to bagging multiple awards, Jai Bhim which spoke about police brutality and bias towards Irular community, created a huge social impact. Jai Bhim was made available for screening at the 96th Academy Awards. In 2022, Suriya had his 1st theatrical release in 3 years with Etharkkum Thunindhavan collaborating with director Pandiraj. The film opened to mixed reviews and went on to be a success at the Box Office. The same year, he stepped into a new character called "Rolex" who appeared as a cameo in Vikram (2022) and this character became a fan favourite in no time. He also did a Cameo in R. Madhavan's, "Rocketry - The Nambi Effect"

Suriya is now working on Kanguva directed by Siva and is slated for release in 2024. Suriya has joined hands once again with Sudha Kongara and G V Prakash Kumar for his 43rd movie. The film team released a motion poster revealing only a part of the movie title.

Suriya is married to actress Jyothika, with whom he worked with in as many as seven films. The couple, after being together for several years, got married on 11 September 2006. They have two children, a daughter named Diya and a son named Dev.

In 2008, Suriya began the Agaram Foundation, working to help children who drop out of school early in Tamil Nadu. Suriya revealed that he was inspired to begin the movement as a result of his father's organisation, Sivakumar Educational Trust, which had been operating similar benefits on a smaller scale since the 1980s. With the Ministry of Education in Tamil Nadu, he created a short commercial video outlining child poverty, labour and lack of education, titled Herova? Zerova?. The film was written and produced by Suriya and also starred Vijay, Madhavan and Jyothika. Agaram sponsored 159 underprivileged students in 2010 for their higher education in various disciplines and has continued to provide free seats and accommodation for pupils. With the firm belief that the educated mind can not only eliminate social evils but also aid in the socio-economic upbringing of society, the Agaram Foundation works towards providing appropriate learning opportunities to the rural populace who do not otherwise have access to quality education. Through the foundation, he has also set up a platform for students to participate in workshops and improve communication skills, teamwork, goal setting and leadership.

Suriya and his family have also extended help towards the education of Sri Lankan Tamil children on behalf of the Sivakumar Charitable Trust. He is also an active participant in other humanitarian works such as the "Save The Tigers" campaign, which aids in the protection and preservation of Tigers in India, and "REACH", a non-profit that cures TB patients for free using supervised medication programs. The actor celebrates every birthday by doing charity work across Tamil Nadu.

Tovino Thomas was born in a Syro-Malabar Catholic Nasrani family in Irinjalakkuda, Kerala, India. He completed his schooling from Don Bosco High School, Irinjalakuda and graduated from Tamil Nadu College of Engineering, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. He served as a Software Enginner at Cognizant Technology Solutions before being introduced into the Malayalam film industry.

Tovino made his silver screen debut through the Malayalam film Prabhuvinte Makkal (2012) directed by Sajeevan Anthikad. His onscreen performances in his subsequent films, ABCD (2013), 7th Day (2014), Ennu Ninte Moideen (2015) and Charlie (2015), made him to be considered as one of the most promising actors. He acted in the lead role in the film Guppy (2016) and was highly acclaimed by the critics. His subsequent films Oru Mexican Aparatha (2017) and Godha (2017) went on to become huge hits in the Mollywood industry.

Tovino got married to Lidiya at St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral, Irinjalakuda on 25 October 2014. His wife is also from a Syrian Catholic Nasrani family in Kerala. They have a daughter.

Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who has worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He is one of the leading actors in Tamil Cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai (1995). A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with Kadhal Kottai (1996) and Kadhal Mannan (1998) being the most notable. He later forayed into method acting, as seen in Vaali (1999), Mugavaree (2000), Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) and Citizen (2001) before establishing himself as an action hero with popular films including Amarkalam (1999), Dheena (2001), Villain (2002), Varalaru (2006) and Billa (2007). He has won three Filmfare Best Actor Awards in Tamil, all for films which showcased him in multiple roles. Ajith performs predominantly in leading roles in major studio films, genres ranging from romantic comedies and drama to action thrillers.

Sivakarthikeyan Doss, more commonly known by his mononym Sivakarthikeyan, is an Indian actor, lyricist, and television presenter predominantly working in the Tamil film industry.

He was born in Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, to his father, G. Doss, a jail superintendent, and his mother, Raji Doss, a homemaker. Sivakarthikeyan completed his early education at Campion Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School in Tiruchirappalli before pursuing a degree in Computer Science Engineering from the J.J. College of Engineering and Technology. He then pursued an MBA from the Indian Institute of Planning and Management in Chennai.

Sivakarthikeyan began his career as a stand-up comedian in Kalakka povadhu yaaru (2005), a Tamil reality TV show aired on Star Vijay. He first came into the limelight after winning this show. He then participated in the third season of the reality show Jodi Number One (2006) and the first and second seasons of Boys vs Girls. During this time, he was also seen in some short films, including Mugaputhagam and Kural 786.

Sivakarthikeyan has also hosted many TV shows, including Airtel Super Singer and the fifth season of Jodi Number One (2006). He won the Vikatan Award for the Best Anchor for Jodi Number One in 2011. Impressed by his hosting skills, director Pandiraj approached Sivakarthikeyan for a lead role in his film Marina (2012). Critics appreciated his performance, and the actor was nominated for the Vijay Award for Best Debut Actor for this film.

Since then, his work has gained popularity amongst audiences and critics. In 2013, the actor had three commercially successful films- Kedi Billa Killadi Ranga (2013), Ethir Neechal (2013), and Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam (2013). In addition to being an actor, Sivakarthikeyan has sung for the film Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam (2013). He has also penned lyrics for many Tamil songs, such as Chellamma, Edakku Modakku, and Arabic Kuthu.

In 2015, he starred in R.S. Durai Senthilkumar's Kaaki Sattai (2015). The film did well at the box office and completed 25 days. Sivakarthikeyan was seen in Ponram's Rajini Murugan (2015) and Remo (2016), romantic comedies directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan.

He was nominated at the Indian International Film Awards Utsavam for the Best Actor category for his role in Rajini Murugan (2015), and he won the South Indian International Movie Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Remo (2016). Sivakarthikeyan also won the Edison Awards for Best Entertainer of the Year for his performance in Remo (2016).

His other notable projects include Seema Raja (2018), Hero (2019), Don (2022), and Ayalaan (2024). He also produces films under his own production house, Sivakarthikeyan Productions.

Born on 8th January 1986, Yash started his acting career in theatre. He made his television debut with the Kannada show Nanda Gokula which was extremely successful and worked in various other TV shows after that. He made his big screen debut with Moginna Manasu and headlined many superhits like Googly, Raja Huli, Gajakesari, and Mr and Mrs Ramachari.

With the massive success of KGF chapter 1, which was released in 2018 in five languages, Rocking Star Yash achieved PAN India stardom and became a household name across India. The film collected over INR 250 crores and was also the most-streamed film on an OTT platform in 2019.

Superstar Yash will be seen next in KGF Chapter 2, which is one of the most awaited films of Indian cinema. The trailer of KGF 2 is already the most-watched Indian trailer ever, and the film is expected to set new benchmarks in the Indian film industry.

In 2017 Yash along with his actress wife Radhika Pandit founded an organization and named it as Yasho Marga Foundation.