Producer Boney Kapoor has shared an interesting anecdote about his early days with the legendary actress Sridevi, detailing how he secured her for films by strategically negotiating her fee. In a resurfaced clip from a talk show, Kapoor recounted how he initiated a successful professional relationship with Sridevi before their marriage.
He explained that when Sridevi’s mother, who managed her professional affairs, initially asked for INR 10 lakhs for a film, Kapoor countered with INR 11 lakhs. He was keen to have his brother paired with a top actress, and Sridevi was a prime choice. His first meeting with Sridevi took place in Mumbai, where she indicated her mother would handle the financial discussions.
Kapoor then traveled to Chennai to meet Sridevi’s mother at their bungalow. Despite a language barrier, Kapoor managed to communicate effectively. He understood that her mention of ’10 rupees’ actually referred to 10 lakhs. Having researched Sridevi’s recent contract of INR 8.5 lakhs, Kapoor initially planned to offer INR 9 lakhs. When her mother stated ’10 rupees,’ Kapoor hesitated before increasing his offer to INR 11 lakhs. This surprised her, and after a pause, she revealed an additional charge of INR 30,000 for staff. Kapoor promptly agreed to INR 50,000, thus finalizing the deal for 11 lakhs, but with a crucial condition for future projects.
For their next collaboration, Sridevi’s mother asked for INR 15 lakhs. Kapoor negotiated this with Yash Chopra, ensuring Sridevi was signed for ‘Chandni’ at the requested amount, which pleased them. On a subsequent meeting for another film, Kapoor recalled Sridevi’s mother quoting INR 14 lakhs for him. He then proposed INR 16 lakhs but stipulated that for the *next* film, her fee would be INR 25 lakhs. This led to Sridevi’s impressive INR 25 lakh remuneration for the film ‘Khuda Gawah’.