Why Vidhu Vinod Chopra paid Soni Razdan for Khamosh only 10 years after the film released

Soni Razdan and the stars of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 1986 film Khamosh did not receive their remuneration until years later. But there's a sweet reason for it.

Actor Soni Razdan is on a roll this year, having appeared in a film and three web series in 2026. The veteran actor is known and respected today for her large body of work in both cinema and on streaming. But there was a time when Soni was hustling as well. In the 80s, when the actor started her journey, she not only faced rejection but was also not even paid for her work. Except when the payment arrived - 10 years later - it turned into a heartwarming story.

Soni Razdan in a still from the 1986 crime thriller Khamosh.

Why Soni Razdan wasn’t paid for Khamosh

In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Soni recalled how her remuneration for the 1986 film Khamosh was the most unusual. “Vidhu Vinod Chopra is an incredible person. When I worked in Khamosh, I don’t think he gave us any money. He told us, ‘When I sell the film or when I make the money back, everybody will get it across the board’,” Soni recalls.

Khamosh was Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s second feature film. The young filmmaker himself produced and bankrolled the film. Apart from Soni Razdan, it also starred Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Amol Palekar, and Pankaj Kapoor. The film became notable for Amol, Soni, and Shabana portraying fictional versions of themselves.

When Vidhu sent a cheque 10 years later

But for the acclaim it won, Khamosh was not a commercial success when it released in theatres. It was only after it sold its TV rights in the 90s that the film became a cult success on early cable television. And true to his word, Vidhu Vinod Chopra delivered. Soni says, “Some 10 years later, a cheque came to my house. I said, ‘Why am I getting this cheque?’ So I called him up, and he said, ‘I promised you, Soni, I will pay you’.” Getting emotional at the memory of the gesture, the actor adds, “That was a really incredible moment.”

Soni Razdan’s recent work

Soni recently appeared in two projects: the film Om Ka Hari and the Netflix show Shaque. Om Ka Hari, written and directed by Harish Vyas, is the story of the tussle between a father and a son, played by Raghubir Yadav and Anshuman Jha, respectively. Soni appears in the film, along with Ayesha Kapur. The film released in theatres on September 18.

Less than a week later, Soni appeared in Shaque. The series stars Parineeti Chopra in her web series debut, alongside Jennifer Winget, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Soni, Sumeet Vyas, Harleen Sethi, Anup Soni, and Dhruv Chowdhury. Created by Siddharth P Malhotra and directed by Rensil D’Silva, the series began streaming on Netflix on September 24.