Producer Boney Kapoor recently shared an insightful anecdote about how he negotiated the fee of his late wife, Sridevi, highlighting their unique partnership and journey before marriage.
He recounted, “Sridevi’s mother asked me for INR 10 lakhs, and I offered her INR 11 lakhs. She was a top star. When casting for ‘Joshilaay’, she was paired opposite Sunny Deol, and I wanted my brother to work with a leading actress as well. Thus, I met Sridevi in Mumbai. She remarked, ‘My mom will talk as usual’. That was our first meeting.”
Continuing his story, he said, “We were shooting in a bungalow at Ruia Park. I traveled to Chennai to speak with her mother. Although Sridevi didn’t know Hindi or English, my communication skills helped me understand her gestures. She conveyed, ‘Pappi, price INR 10 rupees’. In this context, INR 10 rupees meant INR 10 lakhs. After researching, I discovered she had signed her last film for INR 8.5 lakhs. I thought, ‘She signed for INR 8.5 lakhs, I’ll offer her 9’. When she mentioned ‘10 rupees’, I firmly said, ‘No’. At that point, she froze for 10 seconds, and I quickly followed with, ‘I’ll pay 11’. After her pause for 15 seconds, she added, ‘Staff money is separate, INR 30,000’. I replied, ‘No, I’ll give 50,000’. So, when I confirmed the 11 lakhs, there was a condition.”
He recalled, “Her mother asked, ‘Who will pay INR 15 lakhs?’ So, I approached Yash Chopra and secured her signing for ‘Chandni’ at INR 15 lakhs, much to their delight. When I spoke with her mother for the next film, she proposed, ‘For you, 14’. I countered, ‘Why? I’ll pay INR 16 lakhs. But with one condition: for the next film, she must sign for INR 25 lakhs’. Her mother stated, ‘Who will give 25?’ Eventually, in ‘Khuda Gawah’, she received INR 25 lakhs.”
Sridevi was one of India’s most iconic actresses, leaving a lasting legacy in Indian cinema. She sadly passed away on February 24, 2018, in Dubai at the age of 54, when she was found unresponsive in her hotel bathtub. The cause of death was confirmed as accidental drowning, with heart failure as a contributing factor. Her untimely demise left the nation and the film industry in shock.