Bhumi Pednekar on gender pay disparity in Bollywood: ‘I have achieved as much as a male co-star and yet paid way less’ | Bollywood
Feb 22, 2025 08:43 AM IST
Bhumi Pednekar spoke about the gender pay gap in Bollywood and addressed the time she was paid way less than male co-stars.
Actor Bhumi Pednekar has addressed the gender pay disparity in Bollywood, saying that it is a problem that exists in all industries and not just cinema. The actor recounted the time when she was paid less than male co-stars despite being on a similar level of achievement as them but added that things are getting better now. (Also read: Zeenat Aman recalls pay disparity between her and male co-stars: ‘It was so vast it was laughable’)
Bhumi Pednekar on gender pay disparity in films
In an interaction with Bollywood Bubble, the actor spoke about gender pay disparity and said, “Yeh na actually cinema ki problem nahi hai, across sectors ki problem hai. Agar aap ek CEO ko bhi dekh le of any large conglomerate, if she’s a woman unki salary kaam hi hogi. Agar mai specifically cinema me aau toh definitely there’s a huge gap (If you look at the CEO of any large conglomerate, if she’s a woman, her salary will definitely be lower. And if I talk specifically about cinema, there’s definitely a huge gap).”
The actor admitted that oftentimes, male actors are paid more because they can draw the audiences but recalled that she had been paid less even than co-stars of the same stature as her. “Kayi baar hum yeh kehete hai ki, joh actor zyda business lata hai…. woh bilkul sahi hai. Yaha pe seniority ki baat nahi ho rahi (Many times, we say that the actor who brings in more business… and that’s absolutely right. This isn’t about seniority). I’ve been at places where I have achieved as much as a male co-star and yet I have been paid way less. But I feel that as more producers are coming in who genuinely believe in equality, I can see the gap bridging.”
Bhumi Pednekar’s recent work
Bhumi is currently being seen in Mere Husband Ki Biwi, a Mudassar Aziz romantic comedy. The love triangle also stars Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh in the lead roles. The film was released in theatres on Friday, February 22.
It recieved mixed to positive reviews from the critics with particular praise for the comedy. However, its performance at the box office was underwhelming. On its opening day, it earned just ₹1.50 crore at the domestic box office.
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