Sridevi was already a major star, but producer Boney Kapoor once revealed how he helped push her remuneration from ₹10 lakh to ₹25 lakh per film—using a surprisingly simple strategy. Recalling the story on The Kapil Sharma Show, Boney said Sridevi’s mother initially quoted ₹10 lakh for Mr. India. Instead of bargaining her down, Boney offered ₹11 lakh, along with a higher payment for her staff.
But there was a catch. Boney reportedly agreed to the ₹11 lakh only on the condition that Sridevi’s fee for her next film would be ₹15 lakh. To make it happen, he approached Yash Chopra and got Sridevi signed for Chandni at that amount. When negotiations came up again, Boney repeated the same strategy—offering ₹16 lakh instead of the amount initially quoted, but insisting that her next film be signed for ₹25 lakh. That eventually happened with Khuda Gawah, where Sridevi was paid ₹25 lakh.
What started as a simple negotiation tactic ended up creating a major jump in one of Indian cinema’s biggest stars’ remuneration. Boney’s strategy: pay a little more today, but lock in a much bigger number for the next film!
