Envious of her contemporary's market demand, this actress has hiked her endorsement fee to prove a point

This actress is on the speed dial of many big brands, but has been acting pricey of late. When a skincare company recently approached her to renew their contract, she demanded a hike of over 60 per cent to continue endorsing their products.

"She even told them that they could approach another actress if they could not afford her. The brand officials were stumped by her attitude. Now they are in a fix since they want to launch their latest campaign as soon as possible and it is difficult to find another brand ambassador at short notice," says a source, adding that the pretty face, who used to charge Rs 3 crore for endorsement deals earlier, is now asking for Rs 5 crore.

So, what prompted her to hike her fee all of a sudden? The source explains that she wants to assert her position in the industry since she feels overshadowed by the achievements of a contemporary.

`They both have been in this industry for about the same number of years. But her fellow actress is more favoured by filmmakers for her acting talent and versatility. She, in fact, was interested to know how much her rival earns from brand deals and when she found out it was less than Rs 3 crore, she decided to demand more money to prove that she is a bigger star,` adds the source.