Mandakini recalls she’d make Rs 1-2 lakh for a film, could get replaced another actor who had asked for only Rs 75,000
Mandakini had a dream debut in Raj Kapoor’s 1985 film Ram Teri Ganga Maili, but her later films did not create much impact. In a recent chat, she said that female actors were seen as replaceable at the time, and filmmakers would go for the actor who would charge less money. Talking to Pinkvilla, Mandakini said that a female actor would get around Rs 1-2 lakh for a movie in those days. “When we used to work in the movies, they gave us Rs 1-1.5 lakhs for the full movie. That was the price. Maximum 2 lakhs, not more than that. Heroines wouldn’t get more than this,” she said.
Mandakini then shared that women would get replaced without even getting informed. She said, “For example, if I like a movie that someone has narrated to me, and I say yes, and I agree to do the movie. Few days later, an announcement would come but with some other actress. So I used to ask how did that happen? Then I learnt that because I asked for Rs 1-1.5 lakh, they got someone else who is doing it for Rs 75,000. So, because the producers are getting a better deal, they went for someone who was asking for lesser.”
She added, “Unko heroine se matlab tha. ‘Humko bas 2-3 songs karane hain. Voh nahi karegi toh yeh kar legi, yeh nahi karegi toh voh kar legi toh jo apne ko sabse kam mein aaye, usko le lo.’ Yeh mindset tha directors aur producers ka (They were just concerned with hiring a heroine. ‘We just need her for 2-3 songs. If she won’t do it, get someone else. Whoever charges the least.’ That was the mindset of directors and producers).”
Mandakini said that in the 1980s, male actors had complete control over who would be cast opposite them. “Often they would only decide who to work with and who to not work with. If they did not like anyone, they would tell the makers, ‘Don’t take this girl.’” On being asked if she was ever replaced an actor, she said that it did happen “once or twice.”
Mandakini recently made her comeback via a music video titled ‘Maa O Maa’.
