Kriti Sanon weighs in on pay disparity in Bollywood

Pay disparity has been a concern in the Hindi film industry, but things are changing according to actress Kriti Sanon.

“I’ve always believed that pay has to be decided on the amount of work that you put in a film and the numbers your films drive at the box office,” she said.

“The situation is slowly but steadily balancing out where female actors are also getting their monetary due. But we still have a long way to go.”

Ever since her debut in Bollywood in 2014 with ‘Heropanti’, Sanon has done a number of women-centric films and roles. She says she feels good when films like ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’, ‘Stree’ and ‘Raazi’ do well.

Does she see a change in the way women characters are perceived in the film industry?

“Most definitely,” she said. “It’s the best time for women in cinema and we have the audience to thank for that. They have been accepting of stories around female protagonists that are today drawing in figures on par with top male stars.”

But ultimately, it’s content that matters.

“The content has today become the king and the deciding factor, which is great,” Sanon said.

The 28-year-old’s latest biggest money-spinner was ‘Luka Chuppi’, a tale about a couple living-in together and the complications that follow. The film has managed to make more than Rs900 million (Dh47.4 million) at the Indian box office.

“The box office numbers are encouraging and I’m grateful to the audience,” said the actress.

She believes the audience is now more accepting of subjects that would have earlier be considered taboo.

“Our idea wasn’t to state that one should go for live-in relationships in general. But yes, we did want to stir the audiences a bit and leave them with the thought that everyone has the right to lead their lives according to their wishes and we shouldn’t judge them for that,” the actress said of ‘Luka Chuppi’.

Sanon now has an interesting slate of work, with ‘Arjun Patiala’, ‘Panipat’ and ‘Housefull 4’.

“I’m in a good space right now in my life where I’m getting to do the kind of work I really want to. All these films belong to different genres and I’m glad I took those decisions in choosing different kinds of roles and films because I feel that’s the only way you can grow.”