If there is one South Indian hero who is endorsing more number of brands than many Bollywood stars, it is Mahesh ‘Baby’ Babu. The star, whose market value has quite doubled after Dookudu, has signed the popular soap brand Santoor. The ad will be directed by Trivikram Srinivas, the popular writer-director.

Though the brand endorsement fee has been kept under wraps, it is said that the remuneration is quite high, thanks to his unmatched stardom. Aside from the fact that he is the most saleable actor in Andhra Pradesh, Mahesh is the one Telugu star whose face is familiar with the people of Tamil Nadu, not to speak of Karnataka where Tollywood actors are almost household names.

His face now strikes the kind of familiarity in Tamil Nadu that only Chiranjeevi and, to an extent, Nagarjuna, have enjoyed.

The actor's charming presence in the ads - especially Provogue and Univercell – is the reason why he is the most sought-after Tollywoodian for a range of products. No exaggeration this: He is the most successful brand ambassador the South has ever seen. The spree all began after Pokiri, and he has held his ground even five years since.

The first hero to have endorsed a giant brand (Thumbs Up) was Chiranjeevi, followed by Pawan Kalyan who endorsed Pepsi. Allu Arjun, Nagarjuna and Venkatesh have joined the ranks since.