This was Sharmila Tagore’s remuneration in her debut in Satyajit Ray's Apur Sansar

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Sharmila Tagore debuted in films with Satyajit Ray’s movie Apur Sansar. How much did she get as remuneration? Recently, the actress shared this information and some facts about the prices of commodities in those times.

Sharmila said that Satyajit Ray gave her Rs 5,000 as remuneration. She also talked about how she spent the money. Sharmila said, “I started earning at a young age. I did not get the amount I get now, but it is also true that things were much cheaper then.” Satyajit gifted her a saree and a watch also, said the actress. “I promptly went to a gold jewellery store just like any other Bengali family. I bought a necklace, earrings, and bangles with the money. The amount was small, but commodities were cheaper.”

Sharmila said that at the beginning of her career, she got Rs 10,000 -15,000 for acting in Hindi films. However, she got Rs 25,000 for her debut Hindi film. Her first Hindi film was Kashmir Ki Kali, directed by Shakti Samanta. Sharmila said that the director wanted to give her a piece of land in Vile Parle in Mumbai instead of money. But I told them, “Are you crazy? How can I live in this swamp?’’

Sharmila did not have a house in Mumbai after she set foot in Bollywood. She used to stay in the Taj Mahal Hotel in the first few years. She said, “After a few years, I bought a property for Rs 3 lakh. But I went through a lot of hardship to get that money. At that time, we had to pay a lump sum amount for tax. Hence it was difficult to save money.”