Hema Malini: 'I was never the highest paid actress — got my fee in an envelope, like bhiksha'

Hema Malini, one of the most celebrated actresses in Hindi cinema history and a sitting Member of Parliament, has revealed that she was never actually the highest paid actress during her time at the top of Bollywood. In a candid interview carried by The Indian Express, she described receiving her fees in a plain envelope — an experience she compared to being given 'bhiksha', the Hindi and Sanskrit word for alms or charitable giving.

The remark is striking for what it implies: that even at the peak of her stardom, when she was one of the most recognisable faces in Indian popular culture, the financial arrangements around female stars were informal, understated, and bore little relation to the cultural power they wielded. She did not disclose the figures she received, but the nature of the anecdote speaks to a broader systemic devaluation.

For decades, Bollywood's pay structure has been opaque, with male leads commanding significantly larger fees than their female counterparts. Hema Malini's era — spanning the 1960s through the 1980s — saw leading ladies occupy enormous creative space while being compensated far below what their box-office pull arguably warranted.

The comments arrive at a moment when pay parity in Indian cinema remains a live debate, with contemporary actresses including Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt having spoken about the subject. Coming from Hema Malini — often called the 'Dream Girl' of Indian cinema — the admission carries particular resonance and historical weight.