Meenakshi Seshadri was among Bollywood’s most celebrated actresses in the 1980s and 1990s. She became well-known for her impactful roles and her work with some of the industry’s biggest names. Known for her talent and on-screen presence, Meenakshi held her ground as a star.
When filmmaker Rahul Rawail cast her alongside Sunny Deol in Dacait, an unexpected incident unfolded. Rawail, an established director recognized for films like Betaab, Arjun, and Love Story, approached Meenakshi with a unique proposition. Despite her standard fee, Rawail insisted that the opportunity to work with him was compensation enough. Reflecting on the experience, Meenakshi shared in an interview how Rawail met her and laid out his vision for her role.
She recounted, “Rahul Rawail ji came to meet me. I thought that I would work with the director who has made films like Betaab, Arjun and Love Story. He told me clearly that Sunny will have the main role in Dacait and his family will have more importance in the film but the 5-6 scenes and 2-3 songs that you will feature in will be very good and they will have strong content and I believe in presenting my heroines very beautifully. I told him that he needn’t convince me.”
Although intrigued by the film, Meenakshi was surprised by Rawail’s approach to her payment. She said, “He made me cry though during the signing. He clearly refused to give me my price. He said, ‘I won’t give you the price. You are working with me that is your price. Whatever I will give, take it happily.’ I was such a fan of his that I smiled while crying and agreed to it.”
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