Kirti Kulhari to Deepika Padukone; Actors who opened up about Bollywood’s pay disparity

Although the fight for equal pay has been a long one, it is not over yet. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Kirti Kulhari opened up about the matter and mentioned that she believes she earns more than her male counterparts when she is the lead in the project. However, there are several actors who have voiced their opinions on the issue in the past.

Bollywood actors who spoke up about pay disparity in the film industry

Kirti Kulhari

The Mission Mangal actor opened up about the issue in a recent interview with Hindustan Times. She spoke about pay disparity in the industry and mentioned that she believes she is paid more than her male counterparts in the projects that she leads. She went on to mention that she was not sure of the numbers but said that she got paid 'most or at least more than' her male counterparts.

Deepika Padukone

The Ram Leela actor had addressed the matter too. She mlentioned that she would not be able to live with knowing she had been part of a film and contributed to it as much as her male counterpart, but had been underpaid for it. She also 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 been doing. It made absolutely no sense. I was okay to say no to that film based on that one thing as I thought it was unfair." She spoke about this in a panel by Lehren TV.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is known for speaking about matters close to her heart. According to reports, Bollywood's global star had earlier mentioned that she did not like the fact that she got paid less than 'the boys'. She also mentioned that she did not like the fact that the disparity between the pay of the two was so massive. 

Kareena Kapoor

Kareena has spoken about the pay disparity in the Bollywood film industry. She mentioned that asking for a certain amount for a film is not called being demanding, but is about respecting women. The actor also admitted that things are now changing with respect to the matter at hand. She has also mentioned that she has never walked out of a film due to pay disparity, but would 'love to' get paid as much as her male co-stars.

Anushka Sharma

The Band Baaja Baaraat actor revealed that even if there was an actor of the same stature as her, he would get paid more than her 'because he is a guy'. She has also mentioned in the past that there should be 'different standards' to measure the disparity. She mentioned that although women have an equal stake in work and in society, they are not treated equally.

Image: Instagram/@iamkirtikulhari, @deepikapadukone