Salman Khan’s fee suddenly jumped from Rs 5,000 to Rs 5 lakh, recalls director Lawrence D’Souza Filmymeet

Film director and cinematographer Lawrence D’Souza recently shared intriguing details about his early interactions with Salman Khan and the lessons he learned from his experiences with the star.
In a conversation with Friday Talkies, D’Souza recounted a memorable episode from the late 1980s, highlighting how he and producer S Ramanathan signed Salman Khan for a film after being impressed by his performance in ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ (1989).Lawrence D’Souza recalled the initial excitement when Salman Khan was signed on for a film with a signing amount of Rs 5,000.Despite the promising start, the project never materialized, and this pattern continued with subsequent offers. As Salman’s stardom began to rise, he became increasingly frustrated with the repeated cycle of receiving signing amounts without any follow-through on the projects. This recurring issue led to Salman questioning the reliability of the producer.Reflecting on this period, D’Souza described how S Ramanathan, known for classics like Bombay to Goa and Mahaan, initially failed to start the projects even after paying Salman substantial signing amounts. This repeated failure to bring the projects to fruition ultimately led Salman to question the producer’s commitment, asking, “What kind of a person is he? He pays me money and then does nothing!”
Lawrence D’Souza also reminisced about his successful 1991 film Saajan, which featured Salman Khan alongside Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt. Despite being paid Rs 8 lakh for directing the film, D’Souza noted that Salman and Madhuri received Rs 11 lakh each, while Sanjay Dutt was paid Rs 12 lakh.