Meenakshi Seshadri recalls how director Rahul Rawail made her cry, refused to pay her asking fee: ‘Whatever I give, take it happily’

Meenakshi Seshadri, known for her iconic roles in 90s films, recently shared a story about how filmmaker Rahul Rawail once made her cry by refusing to pay her the full fee for her role in his film Dacait. During an interaction, Meenakshi revealed that Rahul decided on an amount he deemed fair, rather than the amount the actor demanded. However, as she was eager to work with the prolific filmmaker, she ultimately accepted his offer despite the disappointment.

Speaking to Friday Talkies, Meenakshi said, “Rahul Rawail ji came to meet me. I thought that I will work with the director who has made films like Betaab, Arjun and Love Story. He told me clearly that Sunny will have the main role in Dacait and his family will have more importance in the film but the 5-6 scenes and 2-3 songs that you will feature in will be very good and they will have strong content and I believe in presenting my heroines very beautifully. I told him that he needn’t convince me.”

Though thrilled about the opportunity, Meenakshi was heartbroken when Rawail insisted on paying less than her asking fee. “He made me cry though during signing. He clearly refused to give me my price. He said, ‘I won’t give you the price. You are working with me that is your price. Whatever I will give, take it happily.’ I was such a fan of his that I smiled while crying and agreed to it.”

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Dacait, written by Javed Akhtar and directed and produced by Rawail, also starred Raakhee and Raza Murad in key roles alongside Sunny and Meenakshi. The film follows the journey of a simple man who, after facing oppression from a local landlord, is driven to a life as a dacoit. Though widely acclaimed, Dacait was a moderate success at the box office, earning critical appreciation for its strong narrative and performances.