Gender pay disparity in the Hindi Film Industry, like many other industries, has been a significant issue that highlights the unequal treatment of male and female actors when it comes to compensation. Despite continued awareness and debate surrounding this topic, the problem of gender pay disparity still plagues Bollywood and actors like Kriti Sanon, Rasika Dugal, Sonakshi Sinha, Radhika Apte and others have raised their voices against it.
Recently at the Jagran Film Festival 2023, Kajol shared her two cents on the topic and said, “When you start making a ‘Wonder Woman’ for India and it does equally well as a ‘Pathaan’, then maybe there will be pay equality.”
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A video of her statement went viral on social media. Have a look:
"Female actors in Bollywood can ask for pay parity after they deliver a film like Shah Rukh Khan ’s Pathaan ." – Kajol at Jagran Film Festival 2023 . #Jawan pic.twitter.com/SR9uZqzEV9
— ℣αɱριя౯ (@SRKsCombatant) August 5, 2023
This is a very common argument that a lot of people, including celebrities, place when it comes to defending gender pay disparity in the industry. They immediately compare female actors to the 3 Khans of Bollywood – Shahrukh, Salman and Aamir – which is unfair.
Firstly, due to several other issues like gender discrimination and ageism, it is hard to come up with even one female actor’s name who has the same kind of stardom that the 3 Khans have. Shahrukh Khan’s earliest films were with female actors like Juhi Chawla, Madhuri Dixit, Kajol, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, etc. All of them took a break at the height of their careers for prioritizing their personal lives, which again is because of an ingrained patriarchal mindset. While the Khans continued to work and flourish, the female actors took a break and when they decided to start working again, already a batch of younger female actors arrived, who were given more chances than the ‘older’ female actors.
So to compare, say for example, Deepika Padukone with SRK is unfair. She came much later. However, there are instances where female actors earned less than their male counterparts for similar roles and screen time. There are also incidents where female actors are written off after a flop film but male actors continue to get chances. Also, female actors are not offered female-led films with a big budget by a top director. They are not backed, promoted or marketed in a way that male actors are.
These are some of the arguments that were placed by many people online who refuted Kajol’s claims. Here’s a look at some of the responses:
Honestly the payment should not be based on gender but on how much audience you can pull into the theaters. A star like SRK is unbeatable n may deserve more than anyone in the country today. But someone like Alia or Deepika may deserve more than many of those other male actors. https://t.co/JVPzx03diL
— 🌻🌻 ⁷ (@brazen_soul) August 5, 2023
Lol no male actors are on SRK’s level either but are you telling me B list actors deserve more pay than our top A list female stars? Because that’s precisely what’s happening https://t.co/Fz4O6pWgCZ
— barbieheimer season over (@exultantdreamer) August 6, 2023
Nobody is saying every female star shld be paid as much as SRK. What about when an Arjun Kapoor is paid more than the actress in his film? Or the male actor is paid 10 times more than the female actress? Are you saying a lot of these actors add 10 times more value than a DP/Alia? https://t.co/x9hgr08jWL
— TakeADeepBreath (@DeepTake) August 5, 2023
Srk ke level ke tu male actors bhi nae ko but yeh young superstars jinko back to back flops/ bad opening ke baad bhi easily big movies mil jaati. Actresses ko aisi luxury nae .. they have to keep proving themselves to bag decent stuff. Forget big budget and backing https://t.co/ZbbifmLzOf
— Curiosity died (@CuriosityGone) August 5, 2023
ironic that she used pathan as an example bc srk was shirtless for most of the film yet it was deepika who got death threats over a bikini that she wore. women led films will never perform as well in the box office here bc we as audience cant stomach a film that decentralizes men https://t.co/T4E8Nq8fi8
— idgafistan embassy (@gworlfailure) August 7, 2023
She’s dumb and hates her own. No one is asking for equal pay to a superstar like SRK. Popular A-list actresses are never credited for openings with male actors who are at par or less popular than them and they get paid peanuts in comparison. That’s the issue. https://t.co/WQPvSfwvfc
— aish (@deepikalove86) August 5, 2023
For female led films to collect as much as Pathan, such roles need to be written for women. Big budgets shld be given to their films. In Hollywood, big budget female centric movies like "Black Widow" and "Hunger Games" are produced. Even now, look at Barbie. What abt Bollywood? https://t.co/GGZKisLgLe
— Cinema Therapy (@moviesadmirer) August 6, 2023
Unless women r given similar opportunities like men its disgusting to make statements like this & pathaan was not a solo movie. It had a leading lady that contributed to its business as well as its art.If u discredit women we shall discredit u from all ur past movies.Anjali dies https://t.co/hOyRiacgls
— VAMPIREHUNT (@TarVampirehunt) August 6, 2023
male hero centric movies do crazy in box office is bc india is a patriarchal country, not bc women can’t deliver a movie like that. there’s no female srk/salman in bwood is bc the masses eat up male hero driven content. the lack of scripts/opportunities isn’t the actresses’ fault https://t.co/THdg4ye4q2
— aneeka (@wittytakes) August 6, 2023
Give pathaan's humongous budget & renowned director to actresses and then maybe we can talk about this. And also it's not like male superstars don't tank big budget movies too, but men are allowed to fail, while women aren't even given enough chances. https://t.co/5IzS6ZBRsM
— K (@kajal52525) August 6, 2023
Pathaan or any khan film is an excuse for gender parity. No one is asking for same pay as khans.
Even the new gen male actors who can't even provide double digit opening are getting heavily paid where as female superstars like alia, kat, dp are not getting half of it. https://t.co/TYbkDBMT6I
— Mohona (@extraaaacheese_) August 6, 2023
Not necessary the collection should be like Pathaan but whoever can bring audience must get good fees.
Many male actors are overpaid despite of having many flops https://t.co/cR7Rl4Mmaj— Mohabbatein (@sidharth0800) August 6, 2023
Canadian Kumar has given back to back disasters yet he's paid way higher than Alia Bhatt who has given back to back hits on her name alone. @itsKajolD should work on her internalized misogyny. https://t.co/STp4DLUUGN
— Conducive Coder (@mehtabackupacc) August 6, 2023
In order to fight gender pay disparity in the film industry, Bollywood needs to take appropriate steps to rectify the issue. Encouraging transparency in pay scales whereby disparities are identified and addressed, creating equal opportunities for female actors, promoting female-centric stories, promoting and supporting female producers, directors and writers, and changing their overall mindset could be the first steps they take.
What are your views on this issue?