Hema Malini Denies Being Highest-Paid Actress Of Her Era; Asks, “Kisne Bola Yeh?”

Hema Malini has denied being the highest-paid actress of her era, saying she never demanded high fees. The veteran star said experience and recognition from her films mattered far more than money throughout her career. Hema Malini, who enjoyed an illustrious career in Bollywood and earned the title of the ‘Dream Girl’, has opened up about her career. She was often regarded as one of the industry’s highest-paid actresses. Reflecting on her decades-long career, the Dream Girl revealed that she was never paid hefty fees, as she valued recognition more than money. Scroll down to read the full story.

Hema Malini Denies Being Highest-Paid Actress Of Her Era

In an interview with Hindi Rush, Hema Malini dismissed speculations of being the highest-paid actress. She said, “No, not at all. Kisne bola yeh? (Who said that?) We used to get a very small amount. Itna kuch nahi dete the (They didn’t pay us much). Directors and producers liked me a lot, but I never worked for money. As your popularity grew, they would increase the payment a little. That’s all. I never got the exorbitant fees that today’s stars receive. We didn’t even get a fraction of that.”

The Sholay actress added, “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 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).”

About Hema Malini’s Journey In Bollywood

The actress has been a part of the Bollywood industry for over six decades. Hema Malini was considered a superstar during her prime and was known as the Dream Girl. She has been a part of many superhit movies like Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay, Dream Girl, The Burning Train, Baghban, and many more.

Hema Malini was married to late Bollywood superstar Dharmendra, who passed away in November 2025. The couple are parents to two daughters, actresses Esha Deol and Ahana Deol. The actress is also a BJP Member of Parliament from Mathura. She has been active in political life since joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2014, and she is often seen raising public concerns through her social media.

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Also Read: ‘Emotional’ Hema Malini Fights Tears As She Receives Padma Vibhushan For Dharmendra; Daughter Ahana Deol Breaks Down Clapping- Watch

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