When Telugu Actress Took More Remuneration Than Salman Khan and SRK

In the world of Indian cinema, the pay gap between male and female actors has always been a topic of debate. But did you know that legendary actress Sridevi once received more remuneration than Bollywood superstars Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan? Yes, it’s true — and it happened in the 1990s!

Back in 1993, Sridevi was the highest-paid actress in Indian cinema. For the film Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, she was paid ₹1 crore, making her the first Indian heroine to get a one-crore salary. At that time, Salman and Shahrukh were new to the industry and were reportedly earning between ₹60 to ₹70 lakhs per film. Even top Telugu star Chiranjeevi was not paid as much as Sridevi for any project during that period.

This shocking fact has recently come into the spotlight again, especially after the Deepika Padukone–Spirit movie controversy. Reports claimed that while actor Prabhas was offered ₹100 crores for the film, Deepika didn’t receive her asked remuneration. This sparked a new round of discussions about the gender pay gap in films.

Actress Samantha also recently spoke out about this issue. She mentioned that during her film Shaakuntalam, she made sure male and female actors were paid equally. Many fans and industry people praised her for taking this stand.

Sridevi’s case proves that talent and stardom can break the usual norms. She was a huge name in Bollywood and South Indian cinema, and people were ready to pay her what she deserved. Sadly, Sridevi passed away in 2018 at the age of 54 in a tragic accident in Dubai, leaving her fans heartbroken.

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