Priyanka achieves pay parity: Times Bollywood actors campaigned for it
After being in the industry for two decades and starring in over 70 films, Priyanka Chopra has finally achieved pay parity! The actor—who is gearing up for the release of her web series Citadel—revealed that this was the first project she had been paid the same amount as her male co-star. Over the years, several Bollywood actors have campaigned for equal pay. Let's unravel.
But first, what's pay parity and what's the blazing issue?
Pay parity refers to equal payment granted to both male and female lead actors of a project. Traditionally, men have always been paid more than their female counterparts, both in Bollywood and Hollywood, despite female actors raising their voices against injustice. The pay is also decided based on the actors' stardom, box office pull, screentime, and the length of one's role, among other factors.
This is what Padukone had to say about pay parity
Deepika Padukone—who's been climbing the global ladder much like Chopra—has also been vocal about her demand for better pay. She once said, "I know my track record and what I'm worth. I know that my co-actor's films haven't been doing well as my films have. It made absolutely no sense. I was okay to say no to [one film] based on that [unfair thing]."
Shah Rukh Khan championed cause repeatedly, too
Speaking about the issue, Shah Rukh Khan once said, "I strongly believe dues meted out should be according to merit and not gender." "I love the women who make work...beautiful. Women make you think...make you want to be a better person and for ages, and even now sadly, they do not get the dues or credit they deserve... They are served the raw deal."
Kangana Ranaut said there's 'inferiority complex' at play
Queen actor Kangana Ranaut, known for her vocal stance on several matters, said in 2017 that if both male and female actors put in the same number of hours, they should be compensated equally. "If we, as actresses, keep instilling this inferiority complex in girls (that they can't attract the audience to the theaters), there is no hope for better times," she had said.
Discrimination among actors who started together: Taapsee Pannu
Elaborating on the rampant problem in 2021, Taapsee Pannu told The National Bulletin, "If a female actor asks more, she is termed difficult and problematic and if a man asks more it's a mark of his success." "The men who started with me earn 3-5 times more than what I do. And the gap keeps increasing as we go in higher star category."
