Now Reading: South Indian stars lag in national brand value, Kroll report finds
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South Indian stars lag in national brand value, Kroll report finds
South Indian stars lag in national brand value, Kroll report finds
Only two south Indian actors, Rashmika Mandanna and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, feature in India's top 25 most powerful celebrity brands in 2025, according to Kroll's Celebrity Brand Valuation Report. Tamannaah Bhatia, who…
Only two south Indian actors, Rashmika Mandanna and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, feature in India's top 25 most powerful celebrity brands in 2025, according to Kroll's Celebrity Brand Valuation Report. Tamannaah Bhatia, who works across Tamil, Telugu and Hindi cinema, also makes the list. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan topped the ranking with a brand value of $177.9 million, followed by Ranveer Singh at $162.9 million.
Despite their theatrical popularity in markets beyond the south, stars like Allu Arjun, Ram Charan, Jr NTR and Prabhas have not seen a commensurate rise in brand value. Allu Arjun, who charges an estimated Rs 9.5 crore per advertisement, dropped from rank 24 to 29 as his normalized endorsement portfolio shrank from seven brands to five. Experts say theatrical success does not automatically translate into national endorsement value, which requires sustained pan-India brand associations, premium fees and cross-language recognition.
Industry experts point to a cultural divide in social media usage, with many southern actors treating their pages primarily as an extension of their work rather than documenting personal life. The last two years also saw several high-budget southern films with pan-India ambitions underperform outside their home markets, which may affect brand valuations in the next cycle if fresh successes are lacking.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The gap between theatrical fame and endorsement value is structural: Hindi cinema addresses a contiguous market of over 500 million consumers, while southern stars must bridge multiple language markets even within the south. The Kroll methodology weights portfolio breadth, number of long-term brand associations, as heavily as fee per ad, penalizing stars who choose selective endorsements. Rajinikanth and Vijay, who rarely endorse, are absent from the ranking despite unmatched cultural influence. Rashmika Mandanna's success (rank 12, $75.2 million) shows a template: consistent cross-industry work and a social media strategy that treats the actor as a brand. The next year's ranking will show whether Allu Arjun's Pushpa sequel can restore his portfolio breadth.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
