Now Reading: Deepika Padukone quit film over pay gap with male star
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Deepika Padukone quit film over pay gap with male star
Deepika Padukone has said she walked away from a big-budget film after learning that the male lead was being paid significantly more than her. The actress made the disclosure in a recent…
Deepika Padukone has said she walked away from a big-budget film after learning that the male lead was being paid significantly more than her. The actress made the disclosure in a recent interview, saying her own recent box-office success did not translate into equal compensation on that project.
The revelation has led to speculation that the film in question could be Spirit, a much-awaited project directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. The film reportedly stars Prabhas in the lead role. Neither Deepika nor the filmmakers have confirmed which project she turned down.
Pay parity in Bollywood has been a recurring issue, with several actresses speaking out about wage gaps. Deepika's comments have reignited the debate over how much male and female stars earn on big-budget films.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The pay gap Deepika described is not unusual in Bollywood. A 2020 FICCI-EY report noted that top male actors earn 10 to 15 times more than top actresses on a single film, a disparity rooted in the industry's belief that male stars drive box-office collections. If the film she quit is indeed Spirit, the stakes are high: the movie is one of the most expensive Telugu productions ever made. The next signal to watch is whether the film's producers issue a clarification or the project moves ahead with a different female lead.
The pay gap Deepika described is not unusual in Bollywood. A 2020 FICCI-EY report noted that top male actors earn 10 to 15 times more than top actresses on a single film, a disparity rooted in the industry's belief that male stars drive box-office collections.
Source: m9.news
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
