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Award shows in Bollywood have long been known for their glitz and glamour, with dazzling performances from top actors leaving audiences thrilled and starstruck. These events became more than just ceremonies of recognition, they transformed into grand spectacles where celebrities mesmerised fans with song-and-dance routines.
While today’s stars earn hefty paycheques for such acts, the tradition of charging a fee wasn’t always the norm. In fact, there was a time when actors performed simply in exchange for awards, without any monetary gain. The one who changed this equation forever was none other than Salman Khan.
When Anil Kapoor Revealed Who Was the First to Demand a Fee
Actor Anil Kapoor once shared this trivia on Sajid Khan’s talk show Sajid’s Superstars. The filmmaker asked him, “Woh kaunsa actor tha jisne zindagi me pehli baar paise maange the award function me perform karne (Who was that actor who charged a fee for performing at award functions)?”
Anil promptly answered, “Salman Khan.”
Interestingly, Anil added that he himself was the first actor who did not charge for performing at an award function, simply because he was unaware that such performances were generously paid.
When Salman Turned Down a Performance and Demanded a Bigger Paycheque
In 2023, during a press conference, Salman recounted the turning point. After the release of Maine Pyaar Kiya, he was invited to the Filmfare Awards with the assurance of winning the Best Actor trophy. He attended with his father Salim Khan and the entire family, only to see the award go to Jackie Shroff for Parinda.
Salman recalled confronting the organisers. Sallu said, “I was going to get it so my dad said, ‘ye kya hai (what is this)?’ I was to perform that night, for the first time. So, I went backstage and said, ‘This is something I cannot do because this is not done. Jackie got it, he was damn good in Parinda, but you shouldn’t have done this with me. Since you are my father’s friend, you shouldn’t have ever done this’. He said, ‘But you have to perform’. I said, ‘I cannot perform’.”
That’s when Salman was offered a cheque. But instead of accepting the amount, he negotiated until he was paid five times more than the initial figure.
Salman added, “He said, ‘Please don’t tell anyone’. I said, ‘This is the wrong person.’ I went out and told Akshay and Juhi that this is the cheque I got for this performance, talk to them and get yours too.”
This marked the first time a Bollywood award function officially paid an actor for performing, a trend that has since become an industry norm, paving the way for stars to earn massive sums for their on-stage appearances.
