This actress left her career when she was the highest-paid actor in India. Later, she passed away at 54.
Currently, Priyanka Chopra is India's highest paid actress, making approximately Rs 30 crore for each film. In comparison, actor Allu Arjun is the highest paid actor in India, earning an impressive Rs 300 crore for Pushpa 2: The Rule.
The significant difference between the numbers highlights the gender pay gap in the industry, a striking comparison to a time when this actress was the top-earning star in India, even surpassing Shah Rukh Khan, Salman, Chiranjeevi, Amitabh Bachchan, and Rajinikanth.
She was so admired that even Rajinikanth had once wanted to propose to her. In the 1990s, she frequently was regarded as one of India’s pioneering female superstars, and made history by being the first actress to request Rs 1 crore for a movie.
It is said that she demanded this sum for the 1993 film Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja. The movie was one of the most expensive Indian films produced during that era. At that time, the only performer demanding higher fees per movie was Chiranjeevi. Nonetheless, the actress swiftly increased her charges, and by the mid-90s, despite Kamal Haasan and Amitabh Bachchan joining the 1-crore club, it is thought that she was earning a larger salary than either of them.
The actress was none other than the late Sridevi.Sridevi, India's highest-paid actor till mid 90s In the 1990s, Sridevi. She was frequently regarded as one of India’s top female superstars. Even the young stars of the industry, such as Shah Rukh, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Sunny Deol, and Sanjay Dutt, were not making nearly as much as Sridevi's charges. According to a Hindustan Times report, they generated earnings between ₹50-75 lakh from 1992 to 1997. The Khans joined the 1 crore club only after Sridevi left films in the late 90s.
Sridevi’s unparalleled versatility and nationwide fame established her as a leading figure in the Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu film industries. Among the rare actresses capable of leading films such as Chandni, Gumraah, Army, and Laadla by herself, she frequently secured more prominent roles than her contemporaries and often commanded higher fees than several male co-stars of that era.
Rajinikanth, who collaborated with Sridevi in Ranuva Veeran, Pokkiri Raja, and Chaalbaaz, was smitten for her. Filmmaker K. Balachander said that Rajinikanth once went to Sridevi's house to propose to her. Just as Rajinikanth was arriving, there was an unexpected power cut at Sridevi's residence. Rajinikanth, considered to be superstitious, viewed it as an unlucky sign and left without expressing his emotions. It is reported that he never expressed his emotions to her again.
Sridevi exited the film industry at the height of her career upon becoming pregnant with her first child, Janhvi Kapoor, with Boney Kapoor. Following the 1997 movie, Judaai, she did not appear in films for almost 15 years while she took care of her daughters, Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor. The actress returned briefly with the TV series Malini Iyer in 2004-05. Her return to the big screen occurred in 2012 with English Vinglish. She appeared in movies such as Puli (2015) and Mom (2017) before her tragic death caused by accidental drowning in 2018.
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