Kriti Sanon, at a recent event, spoke about the gender-based pay disparity in the Hindi film industry and stated that it shouldn’t matter if the actor is male or female, the pay should be the same as the work also is the same.
“Actually, considering all the other industries, I don’t understand why the pay parity is not there. Because for certain kinds of roles, certain kinds of jobs, whether you are a male or a female, it shouldn’t matter, and the pay should be the same,” she said, while speaking at an event hosted by CNN-News18. “In the films, yes we’ve been having this conversation for a very, very long time and trust me it pinches us more than anyone else,” she added.
Kriti, however, also went on to explain how films led by women are not deemed profitable by the producers and that can lead to disparity in pay. “Even if it’s a film led by a woman, I feel it’s not scaled at the same budget as a film that is led by a man would be. But that’s also because producers are scared that they are not going to get as much money back,” she said.
“So, I think it’s a circle where female-led films don’t end up making as much money as the male-led films, and then it’s like ‘oh, that’s why his fees are more or her fees are less’," she added.
Despite the challenges, Kriti expressed optimism about the slow but noticeable shift in the industry’s attitude. She noted that content-driven films are beginning to take centre stage, regardless of whether they're led by men or women.
Citing the success of her female-led film Crew, she emphasised the importance of fun, high-budget projects being fronted by women and urged producers to take more risks based on stories rather than gender. The 2024 film starred Kriti alongside Tabu and Kareena Kapoor Khan. It grossed Rs 157 crore worldwide and was one of the highest-grossing Hindi films last year.
On the work front, Kriti is gearing up for several big releases. She will next be seen opposite Dhanush in Aanand L. Rai’s Tere Ishq Mein, followed by Cocktail 2, directed by Homi Adajania and co-starring Shahid Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna.
