Pay parity is a never-ending debate, or it seems like that because it is going to take decades for us to witness men and women being paid equally. This is the 21st century, but when it comes to social issues and equality, we often see people defending their privilege and passing bizarre commentary when asked for their opinions.
These days, the hot topic making headlines is about Deepika Padukone raising her fees and asking to work an 8-hour shift. According to recent reports, she exited Kalki 2898 AD sequel and Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit because of the aforementioned issues.
While many directors and actors have spoken on the subject indirectly, filmmaker Sudhir Mishra has openly favoured Deepika Padukone.
Sudhir Mishra On Pay Parity
Sudhir Mishra has given us films like Chameli, Afwaah, Calcutta Mail, A Thousand Desires Like These, and Mumbai Cutting. He recently appeared on Cyrus Braocha's podcast and spoke to him on the subject of pay parity in the film industry.
Speaking about Kareena Kapoor Khan's salary in Chameli, he said, "She must have been paid more than Rahul Bose in the film, and she should have been. Parity means if a woman's part is as good as the man's, then she should get paid as much".
"If it [a woman's role] is better, she should get paid more. But it's also got to do with the box office. One thing you have to understand is that in cinema, you don't get paid, you get a share in the profits. In cinema, a star gets paid more because they bring in the box office," he added.
He shared an example and said, "If Deepika Padukone brings in the audience and is as big a star as any male actor, which I think she is, quite a big star, she should be paid that much".
"Just leave aside this gentleman called Shah Rukh Khan, who seems to never age. If Deepika is as big a star, she should be paid equally. In all the Bhansali films she did, she's the main character. So I don't see the problem. I think she should be paid equally, and it's about time," he noted.
Deepika Padukone On 8-Hour Work Shift
In an interview with CNBC TV 18, Padukone opened up on the 8-hour work shift controversy. "By virtue of being a woman, if that's coming across as pushy or whatever, then so be it. But it is no secret that a lot of superstars, male superstars, in the Indian Film Industry, have been working for 8 hours for years, and it's never made headlines!" she said.
"I don't want to take names now and make this into a whole thing, but it is very commonly, publicly known that a lot of male actors have been working for 8 hours a day for years. A lot of them only work for 8 hours from Monday to Friday. They do not work on weekends," the actor added.
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