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Bhagyashree made her acting debut with Salman Khan-starrer  (1989). At that time, Salman was just one film old, whereas Bhagyashree took her first step in the world of glamour with the Sooraj Barjatya film. As per reports, Bhagyashree was paid Rs 1 lakh for Maine Pyar Kiya, while  had got only Rs 25,000 as his fee for the film, which became the biggest hit of 1989. Recently, in an exclusive interaction with Zoom, Bhagyashree has broken her silence on the pay parity in Bollywood and revealed why she was paid more than Main Pyar Kiya co-star Salman Khan.

 

During a candid chat with us,  was asked about reports of getting more fees than her co-star Salman Khan for Maine Pyar Kiya. For the unversed, Bhagyashree tied the knot with Himalay Dassani while shooting for her first film. After the wedding, she started working less in films and got busy in her family life.

When asked about the report of getting more money than Salman, the Raja Shivaji actress said, “It depends upon a lot of supply and demand. It is a simple business when we talk about money. A woman might put in hard work, but if the producer or director thinks that she is replaceable by someone else who is offering a better price, then they are stuck paying a particular price to that actress whom they are willing to pay. At that point in time, the actress would have to make a decision on whether she was willing to let go of the work for someone else. Unless women in general come together and say this is what we are supposed to get paid, it is not going to happen.”

Apart from that, Bhagyashree also said that producers also think about the business perspective. Hence, it is a business strategy. She said, “There will always be someone who is ready to bargain to take a step back. This is the standard. It doesn't happen, and it is not going to happen. There will always be someone who will be ready to compromise with their work and craft. This is a very volatile market. When you are working with a person, it is not just only about pay, but you also need to like working with that person. It's a business strategy.”

Coming back to Maine Pyar Kiya, the film is the biggest blockbuster of 1989. It also starred Laxmikant Berde, Mohnish Behl, Alok Nath, Reema Lagoo and others in key roles.

 

Bhagyashree has now started working in films again. She was recently seen in Riteish Deshmukh’s Raja Shivaji as Jijabai Bhonsale. The film’s Marathi version turned out to be a big hit at the box office.