Sharda Sinha Death: When The Late Singer Was Paid Only ₹76 For Song In Salman Khan's Maine Pyar Kiya

Renowned folk singer and Padma Bhushan awardee Sharda Sinha passed away on November 5, Tuesday, after she succumbed to her long battle with cancer at AIIMS, Delhi. While she was known for her popular Chhath songs, she also left a significant mark in Bollywood despite a brief stint.

Sinha crooned songs in two of Salman Khan's cult classics -- Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun. The Maine Pyar Kiya song, 'Kahe Toh Se Sajna', marked her debut in Bollywood and despite the film being made with a budget of Rs 1 crore, it went on to earn Rs 45 crore at the box office, shattering all records.

Salman, who marked his debut as a lead with Maine Pyar Kiya, was paid Rs 30,000 for the film, while Divya Bharti took home a paycheck of Rs 1 lakh. However, Sinha, who crooned the soulful track, was paid only Rs 76 for the song, Kahe Toh Se Sajna.

After Maine Pyar Kiya, Sinha worked with filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya once again in Salman's Hum Aapke Hain Koun, in which she sung the song, Babul, which tugs at the heartstrings of the audience even today.

Post Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Sinha stepped back from Bollywood only to become a household name in the northern states of India. She made a smashing comeback in Bollywood with the song, Taar Bijli, in Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur, and it was a hit among the audience within days of the film's release.

Sinha also sung the song Nirmohia in the web series Maharani, starring Huma Qureshi.

Sinha passed away on November 5 at the age of 72 after battling with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, for several years. The news of her demise was confirmed by her son, Anshuman, on social media.

"Your prayers and love will always remain with my mother. Chhathi Maiya has called her to herself. She is no longer with us in physical form," he wrote.