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The actress made her own rules. From doing her makeup to charging more than leading heroes, she was a ‘boss lady’ even before it was a thing. Her popularity and charm were such that even Bollywood’s leading Khans couldn’t match her stardom at the time. The actress was none other than the timeless diva Sridevi, who is often considered one of India’s first Pan-India stars. She was the first actress to charge Rs 1 crore (per film). Sridevi reportedly charged Rs 1 crore for the 1993 film Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, which was among the most expensive Indian films ever made at the time. Her paycheck (per film) was even higher than many of her male co-stars. There was a time when Sridevi changed more than Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. But did you know Salman Khan was scared of Sridevi? Oh yes, you read that right. Salman Khan and Sridevi starred together in two films. When Salman began his acting career in the 90s, Sridevi was already reigning over Indian cinema. She was a superstar with the unmatched ability to draw audiences to theatres. According to a Times of India report, Salman Khan once revealed that he used to refuse to work with the actress. The actor had said that he was afraid that Sridevi’s work would dominate the film. The Dabangg star shared, “When any of Sridevi’s films are released, the audience pays less attention to the hero.” Describing her as India’s first lady superstar, he also added that people used to go to theatres only to see Sridevi. Salman and Sridevi worked in Chandramukhi and Chand Ka Tukda. Both of these films flopped at the box office. In 1996, Sridevi, 33, quit films after becoming pregnant with her first child. Her last film before the break was Judaai (1997). She returned to the limelight with the TV show Malini Iyer (2004) and films like English Vinglish, Puli, and Mom. She died in 2018 at the age of 54.
