Ragini highest paid female actor in Sandalwood

I'm confident of earning 1 cr'

The buzz is that has fetched a whopping 33 lakh for her latest flick, making her the highest paid female actor in Sandalwood

When asked whether it is true that she is being paid 33 lakh at the age of 21 for her role in a film, Ragini Dwivedi laughs and says, "It sounds like we are talking about vital statistics." Nevertheless, she is thrilled about being pegged as the highest-earning female lead in the Kannada industry today. The actor has been offered this amount for her upcoming film Hanuman, which is incidentally the launchpad of politico Kumaraswamy's nephew Arjun. "I'm just 21 and have been working only for two years in Sandalwood. So to be offered such an amount this early in my career makes me feel proud. I'm also aware that everyone's been talking about me getting paid mega bucks. I guess I'm being paid back for all my hard work," says Ragini.
Confirming that she has even received the advance for the film, Ragini reveals that she recently wrapped up a photo shoot with Arjun. "We will go on the floors in the second half of 2012 because I'm currently working on four films: Aarakshaka, Villain, Bangari and Shiva," she says.
Is it true that Ragini has pipped Ramya to the position as the top grosser among the leading ladies? "Frankly, I don't know how much she is charging. Rams (Ramya) has been here for 10 years and it's no joke to be around for that long. I have a lot of respect for her. I'm a newcomer when compared to Ramya as I've been here only for two years. And it would be silly on my part if I charged an amount just to surpass someone else's remuneration," says Ragini, adding, "But I'm confident that with the kind of work I'll do in the future across various industries, I can even fetch a crore some day."
Contributed by Madhu Daithota
SHOW ME THE MONEY
"I don't think heroines being paid so much is a healthy trend. If they wield mega clout over the box office and have crowds coming in only to see them, resulting in healthy returns for the producer, then it's OK if they ask for big moolah. But our industry has such a small market. We have so many complaints in the Artistes' Association, where heroines who've been promised big amounts haven't been duly remunerated simply because producers can't afford to spend such big bucks only on the heroine. The only actor who can guarantee good collections for the producer with her presence in a film is Ramya."
— Rockline Venkatesh,
producer and secretary, Artistes' Association