At their peak, they were paid more than some of the biggest stars of their time.In a recent interview, Salim Khan revealed that he and Akhtar insisted on high fees because they believed the script was crucial to a film’s success. Khan shared an anecdote about one film where they negotiated a higher fee than the lead actor.
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In a chat with NDTV, Salim shared that when the producer offered Rs 12 lakh for the actor, they demanded Rs 12.5 lakh, and the producer agreed.
Khan and Akhtar didn’t initially aim to earn more than actors but wanted to elevate the status of writers. Khan expressed their dissatisfaction with the industry’s undervaluing of writers, saying, “We felt like writers had no value.”
The duo took a bold step by ensuring their names were prominently displayed on city posters for the film ‘Zanjeer,’ even though it was unusual for writers to be credited this way. Khan explained, “We hired a painter to put our names on posters all over Bombay. People were shocked.”
Khan also reflected on the industry’s reaction to their high fees, noting that many called them crazy for demanding such amounts when writers typically earned much less. ‘Bolte the pagal hai, ye pagalpane ki baat karte hain. Humne kaha theek hai mat do paise agar script chahiye to is se kam mein nahi milegi,’ (They said we were crazy and that we were talking nonsense. We said, ‘Fine, don’t pay us. But if you want the script, it won’t be available for less than this amount.’) he mentioned. They would reveal their fee upfront, even before narrating a script, which often left producers shocked. At a time when writers were typically paid less than Rs 10,000, the duo demanded payments in lakhs, setting a new standard for screenwriters in the industry.
Their impact is highlighted in the recent docu-series ‘Angry Young Men,’ which shows how Salim-Javed received Rs 21 lakh per film at the height of their fame—more than even top actors like Amitabh Bachchan. The series also delves into their personal lives and prolific careers.
