Boney Kapoor, the renowned film producer, recently shared a fascinating anecdote about the early days of his relationship with his late wife, the legendary actress Sridevi. A resurfaced clip from a talk show features Kapoor recounting how he strategically negotiated Sridevi’s professional fees, ultimately forging a strong bond before their marriage.
Kapoor explained that Sridevi’s mother initially quoted a fee of INR 10 lakhs. However, Boney Kapoor, eager to secure her for a film and perhaps impress, countered with INR 11 lakhs. This negotiation occurred when Sridevi was a top star and was being considered for a role opposite Sunny Deol in the film ‘Joshilaay.’ Kapoor’s intention was also to cast his brother opposite a leading actress, making Sridevi an ideal choice.
He detailed a meeting with Sridevi in Mumbai, where she indicated her mother would handle the financial discussions. Subsequently, Kapoor traveled to Chennai to meet Sridevi’s mother. Despite a language barrier, Kapoor managed to communicate effectively through gestures. He understood her mention of ’10 rupees’ as a coded INR 10 lakhs. Having researched Sridevi’s previous contract, which was for INR 8.5 lakhs, Kapoor initially aimed to offer INR 9 lakhs. When her mother stated ’10 rupees,’ Kapoor surprised her by offering INR 11 lakhs. This was followed by a discussion about staff payments, where Kapoor also agreed to a higher amount of INR 50,000, exceeding the initial quote of INR 30,000.
The producer further elaborated on how he secured Sridevi for Yash Chopra’s directorial venture, ‘Chandni.’ He revealed that he agreed to pay INR 15 lakhs, which pleased Sridevi’s mother. For subsequent films, Kapoor continued this pattern of negotiation. He mentioned an instance where he offered INR 16 lakhs for a film and stipulated that for the next project, ‘Khuda Gawah,’ Sridevi’s fee would be INR 25 lakhs, a figure that was eventually met.
Sridevi remains one of Indian cinema’s most beloved and influential actresses. Her untimely death in Dubai on February 24, 2018, at the age of 54, sent shockwaves through the nation. The official cause of her death was determined to be accidental drowning, with cardiac arrest as a contributing factor.
