Veteran actress and politician Hema Malini rejects the long-held claim that she was Bollywood’s highest-paid actress during the 1970s and early 1980s. In a podcast appearance, she says actors of her generation were paid far less than today’s leading stars and that she did not receive the kind of “exorbitant fees” that modern performers command. Malini says the amounts she earned increased only gradually as her name grew, rather than through demands for higher pay.
She also explains that she and her family did not pressure producers for bigger remuneration. According to her, her mother, Jaya Chakravarthy, handled film arrangements and was flexible with producers’ budgets. Malini says that if a producer said they could not pay much, her mother would agree, and the family would accept whatever amount was offered. She describes these payments as being almost like “bheeksha” (alms), emphasizing that directors and producers valued her, and that money was not her main priority. She frames her career focus around recognition and experience from films.
