Many Bollywood actors, from Kriti Sanon to Richa Chadha, have talked about the pay disparity present in the industry. Kareena Kapoor is the latest to board the car. Acknowledging the problem, Kareena said that times are changing. With more women like Anushka Sharma and Deepika Padukone, the gulf of producers turning is slowly shrinking.
On the criticism of women for age differences and the romance of young men, the actor said, the mindset of producers has to be changed.
I know you have been asked about inequality. Still, I want you to understand that many female actors have said that when they star opposite male actors who have as much experience in the industry is. Yet there is a pay gap, and the conversation is always awkward when female actors are concerned. So, in your experience, have you felt that when a female actor paid interaction with producers, space and environment are very different?
Kareena Kapoor: Of course. But I feel with changing people now — with Anushka becoming the producer and Deepika becoming the producer — the conversation is a little different now. Because producers also have no choice left and to include heroin on the board, you know, it’s like a bribe to get the amount of revenue they are bringing. So I think the whole environment has changed now. And the atmosphere that was a bit uncomfortable earlier, I think they are getting used to that, which is a good thing.
Taking this question further, the age difference is also a matter that we have been addressing. We are all talking about this; actors have been talking about this. A 50-year-old gets romanced at the age of 21, but a 50-year-old actress does not find romance (a young actor) because it looks strange. When Aishwarya did ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil,’ the gap between Aishwarya and Ranbir’s age is not more than 5 or 6 years, but even after that, she faced a lot of criticism for romancing a younger man.
It is always a criticism whenever it is shown to an older woman, or in the film, we are still showing it is a relationship between an older woman and a younger man. They have to justify it.
Kareena Kapoor: Of course. But not with a man. But I hope that when I am older too, I will share that kind of work and break that ideal. I am also looking forward to doing so. Because, why not? It should be. Some people fall in love. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are different generations, but they fell in love. Saif and I are different generations. But we fell in love. So what? What’s the big deal? But the thinking of the producers here will have to change.
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