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Bhagyashree reveals why she outearned Salman Khan in Maine Pyar Kiya: ‘It’s a simple business’
According to Parvien Dastur, Bhagyashree was paid Rs 1.5 lakh for Maine Pyar Kiya. Salman Khan had earlier revealed in an interview that he was paid Rs 75,000 for the same film.
Bhagyashree, not Salman Khan, was the highest paid actor in Maine Pyaar Kiya.
Bhagyashree recently revealed why she was paid more than Salman Khan for their 1989 blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya. Speaking about the pay difference, the actor explained that it all depended on “supply and demand” at the time.
The film, directed by Sooraj Barjatya, became one of the biggest blockbusters of the late 1980s and turned Salman into an overnight star. However, at that point in time, both actors were newcomers.
In an interview with Zoom, Bhagyashree shared that remuneration was decided based on market demand and industry dynamics.
“I don’t know whether people are going to like what I am going to say. It depends upon a lot of supply and demand. It is a simple business when we talk about money. A woman might put in hard work, but if the producer or director feels that she is replaceable by someone else who is offering a better price, then they will stick to the price that they are willing to pay to that particular actress. At that point in time, the actress would have to make a decision on whether she was willing to let go of the work that’s coming to her, and allow someone else to take it. Unless women in general come together and say this is what we are supposed to get paid, it is not going to happen,” shared Bhagyashree.
“There will always be someone who is ready to bargain to take a step back. This is the standard. It doesn’t happen, and it is not going to happen. There will always be someone who will say ‘achha, I will do this instead.’ Whether it’s work hours, whether it’s payment terms. This is a very volatile market,” she added.
In 2023, actor Parvien Dastur, who played Seema in Maine Pyar Kiya, revealed in an interview that Bhagyashree was paid Rs 1.5 lakh for the film. Salman Khan had earlier shared that he received Rs 75,000 for the same movie. Parveen had also recalled that although Rajshri Productions didn’t pay extravagant fees, they were incredibly professional and honest. Payments were timely, and actors never had to chase the production house for their dues.
Over the years, Salman Khan has often spoken about his humble beginnings in Bollywood. The actor had earlier revealed that before entering films, he earned just Rs 75 as a background dancer at a show in Mumbai’s Taj Hotel and later worked in advertisements before landing his breakthrough role in Maine Pyar Kiya.
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Although Maine Pyar Kiya became a turning point in Salman’s career, the actor once revealed that he struggled to find work even after the film’s massive success. During an appearance on Aap Ki Adalat, Salman shared that his co-star Bhagyashree decided to quit films and get married soon after the release, which he felt affected his career at the time.
Bhagyashree made her debut with Salman Khan in Maine Pyar Kiya.
Recalling the difficult phase after the film’s release, Salman said, “Uske baad 4-5 mahine tak koi kaam nahi mila tha mujhe. Aisa lag raha tha ki kaam milega bhi nahi kyunki Bhagyashree madam ne uss waqt decide kar liya tha ki main ab filmein nahi karungi, main shaadi karungi (After that, I did not get any work for four to five months. It felt like I would not get work at all because Bhagyashree madam had decided at that time that she would quit films and get married).”
He further added, “Aur unhone jaake shaadi kar liya aur poora credit, jo credit hota hai film ka, woh leke bhaag gayi. Aisa laga industry walon ko ki main toh woh thi, yeh toh kuch nahi the (And then she got married and walked away with all the credit that the film received. People in the industry felt that she was the real reason behind the film’s success and that I was nothing).”
Salman Khan also revealed that during that period, his father Salim Khan stepped in to help him. Salim reportedly requested producer GP Sippy to publicly announce that Salman had been signed for a film project. After the announcement appeared in a trade magazine, filmmakers, including producer Ramesh Taurani, started approaching Salman with new offers.
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