The fat paychecks that Bollywood stars take home often stoke envy, but television's top-rated celebs these days are not far behind. With an increasing number of broadcasters launching channels and mega-budget shows, popular actors are making a killing. Like an industry observer puts it: "There's nothing small about the small screen anymore".

Following conversations with producers, casting agents and network execs, hitlist takes a look at some of the biggest names of the TV industry and their approximate earnings