📌 Key Points
- Hema Malini denies being Bollywood’s highest-paid actor in the 70s/80s.
- She valued experience and recognition over demanding exorbitant fees from producers.
- Her mother handled finances, being liberal with producers regarding payment.
- Malini is also a director, Bharatanatyam dancer, politician, and Padma Shri recipient.
Veteran Bollywood actor Hema Malini recently opened up about her earnings during her peak, dismissing claims of being the highest-paid. She revealed that money was never her primary motivation, and she never demanded exorbitant fees, unlike today’s stars, valuing experience over financial gain.
Hema Malini’s Stance on Bollywood Earnings
During the 1970s and early 1980s, Hema Malini was among Bollywood ‘s biggest stars and was often regarded as one of the industry’s highest-paid actresses. However, in a recent podcast with Hindi Rush, the veteran actor and politician dismissed the claim, saying she never earned the kind of fees today’s stars command and was never driven by money.
She added, “But uske baat hi alag hai lekin. Jo mila usmein jo hum logon ne pictures kari, that is more earning than actual money. (But that’s a different story altogether. Whatever we gained from the films we worked on was worth much more than the actual money. The experience and recognition meant more than the payment.) Whatever a producer could afford to pay was fine. Otherwise, I never demanded, ‘Itna hi chahiye varna nahi karungi picture’ (I want this amount or I won’t do the film). I never did that. My mother handled everything, and she was very liberal with all the producers. If a producer said, ‘I can’t pay much for this film,’ she would say, ‘No problem.’ We never insisted on money. Whatever little envelope they gave us, we accepted it, almost like bheeksha (alms).”
Prioritizing Passion Over Paychecks
In 1992, she directed and produced Dil Aashna Hai, starring Divya Bharti and Shah Rukh Khan in the lead roles. She followed it up by directing and producing Mohini in 1995, featuring her niece Madhoo and Sudesh Berry. She later shifted her focus to classical dance and television, while making occasional appearances in films.
Beyond Acting: A Multifaceted Icon
Apart from acting, Hema is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, filmmaker and politician, and currently serves as a Member of Parliament. She was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2000, India’s fourth-highest civilian award. In 2012, Sir Padampat Singhania University conferred an honorary doctorate on her in recognition of her contribution to Indian cinema.
Hema Malini’s candid revelations offer a unique perspective on Bollywood’s past, highlighting a time when passion often outweighed monetary demands. Her multifaceted career continues to inspire, proving success isn’t solely defined by a paycheck.
