Bollywood Actresses Speak Out On ‘Massive’ Wage Inequality
From Nargis to Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka to Deepika, Bollywood has idolised these amazing actresses — awarded and applauded them for their powerful performances and given a different look on screen. However, when it comes to their paychecks, there’s a notoriously wide gap between men and women according to Deepika who very recently voiced her opinion.
It’s mainly because, in Bollywood, actresses aren’t viewed as heroes in the same way as actors are — the films often featured women in sexualized roles.
Of course, in the past few years, audiences have shown interest in female-led films such as Kangana Ranaut’s Queen, Priyanka Chopra’s Mary Kom, Vidya Balan’s Kahaani and Anushka Sharma’s NH10. But Bollywood has been less-than-entertaining in compensating its female stars.
There is a consensus that pay discrimination exists in Bollywood but, with most salaries veiled in secrecy, no one knows how bad it really is.
To add to the opinions, hollydoow actresses such as While Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone, Meryl Streep and Patricia Arquette have spoken out on the disparity in Hollywood. Recently, in an interview to BBC, Priyanka Chopra said, “I don‘t like the fact that I get paid much less than the boys. I don‘t like the fact that the disparity is so massive.” She also said that while films with a male lead made $40 million at the box office, those with a female lead would earn less than a quarter in Bollywood. “When women-centered films become hits, then the disparity will end.”
Although films led by women have fallen behind in box office collections, several films starring Deepika Padukone, Kangana Ranaut and Priyanka Chopra have crossed the 1 billion rupees ($15 million) gross earnings mark — considered a hit in Bollywood.
In 2014, Queen, in which Ranaut plays a jilted bride who embarks upon her honeymoon in Europe alone, grossed over £14 million (1.2 billion rupees) at the box office. In 2015, Padukone and Chopra-starred Bajirao Mastani earned over £23 million at the box office.