There is no doubt that nowadays Bollywood actresses are getting a huge remuneration for their work, and they’re also sometimes paid higher than the actors beside them.
As lately we have seen Queen of Bollywood Kangana Ranaut has charged Rs. 14 crores for her titular role of Rani Lakshmibai in the upcoming flick ‘Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi’ & became Bollywood’s highest paid actress. And, after her its Deepika Padukone, who comes at number 2. She became the highest paid in 2017 by charging 13 crores for Padmaavat, more than her co-actors Ranveer Singh as well as Shahid Kapoor in the same flick.
Recently, Chhapaak actress spoke up at the launch event of the book, ‘The Dot That Went For A Walk.’ It is about 51 real women heroes including a complete chapter on Padukone. There she talked about pay parity in the Bollywood film industry, and how she has been demanding fair pay for work.
Deepika said,
“Today in films, there is no lack of opportunity. The kind of films and the place of a woman in these films have changed a lot. And, of course, the pay. I would like to speak for myself. I have been able to bridge the gap, in terms of what my male contemporaries get paid versus what I am getting paid.”
Further, she mentioned a recent incident where she denied to be part of a film as she was proposed less payment only to accommodate the male actor.
She said,
“There was a recent incident where a director offered us a film that creatively I liked. But then it came to talking about money, and I said that this is what I would charge. Then it kind of went back and forth. He came back and told me that he wouldn’t be able to afford me as he had to accommodate the male (lead). So, then I said ‘tata- goodbye’ as I know my track record. I know my worth. I know that his films haven’t been doing as well as my films have. So, it made absolutely no sense. I was okay to say no to that film based on pay because I thought it was unfair.”
Although there is no point to judge her, still she explained that why she was taking these measures and refusing movies where she was demanded to contribute equally as her male co-star, but not remunerated same for it.
She stated,
“Today, I am ready to take those steps, measures or decisions for myself because I am going to be able to sleep peacefully at night. I don’t think I would be able to live with the thought that despite the same kind of creative contribution as my male co-star, and bringing in the same kind of value to the film as him, I am being underpaid. I was not okay with that.”
Well, undoubtedly, she has proved to be a ‘woman of today’ that too in more ways than one.
Not only in professional life, but the actress seems to take a stand in her personal life as well. As we all know, she recently tied the knot with Ranveer Singh where she expressed her opinions to change her surname after marriage.
She said that if they both have worked hard to create an identity of their own, then there is no point of women changing her name after marriage or one must not change that for anything.
On the Professional front, Deepika will be seen in an upcoming film “Chhapaak” directed by Meghna Gulzar.