Among other topics, Deepika Padukone's departure from Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit sparked a discussion on the gender wage gap in Indian cinema. The actor reportedly quit when the project declined to provide her the ₹20 crore she had requested for the picture. Prabhas, the protagonist, is demanding more than 100 crores rupees. Views on the gender wage disparity in film are divided, with some describing it as sexist and others considering it to be a realistic representation of market worth. However, there have been instances in Bollywood history where female actors were in charge.

When India's highest-paid actor was a 'heroine'

Sridevi, frequently regarded as one of India's first pan-Indian stars, became the first woman actress to earn Rs 1 crore for each picture in the 1990s. According to reports, the sum was what the actor asked for the 1993 premiere of Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, which was one of the costliest Indian movies ever produced at the time. In those days, Chiranjeevi was the only actor who charged more for a single movie. However, Sridevi quickly raised her rates, and by the mid-1990s, when Kamal Haasan and Amitabh Bachchan entered the 1-crore club, she was already charging more than both of them.

The three Khans, Shah Rukh, Salman, and Aamir, along with Sunny Deol and Sanjay Dutt, dominated the industry from 1992 until 1997. They still demanded between ₹50 and 75 lakh at the time. The Khans didn't break the ₹1 crore barrier until the late 1990s, when Sridevi had already left the film industry.

The path that led Sridevi to become the highest-paid actor in India

For female celebrities in Indian film, Sridevi's blend of adaptability and stardom was unique. She was the best actress in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu movies. She was one of the few female actors who could headline movies, as she did in Chandni, Gumraah, Army, and Laadla, alongside Jaya Prada and Madhuri Dixit. As a result, she was able to consistently secure roles that were meatier than those of many of her peers and juniors, as well as command higher rates than her male co-stars.

At the age of 33, Sridevi decided to give up acting

In the mid-1990s, Sridevi was at the height of her celebrity, headlining popular films in many languages. Therefore, it was a complete surprise when she declared in 1996 that she would give up on movies. The cause was that the performer was expecting her first child. Judaai, which came out in 1997, was her last picture for about 15 years. At the time, she was only 33 years old. For the next few years, Sridevi focused on raising Janhvi and Khushi, her two daughters.

With the show Malini Iyer in 2004–05, the actress made a brief return to television, but her complete big-screen comeback occurred in 2012 with English Vinglish. After that, she starred in Mom (2017) and Puli (2015) prior to her sad demise in 2018 at the age of 54.

Read Also: Unni Mukundan Addresses Rift Rumours, Shares Chat Screenshot with Tovino Thomas

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!