Actress Lara Dutta sheds light on the glaring pay disparity between male and female actors in the Indian film industry.
As Lara Dutta basks in the success of her recent show “Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond” and gears up for her next big project, “Ramayana” with director Nitesh Tiwari, she’s also making her voice heard on the ongoing topic of fair pay in Bollywood. Currently filming for the role of Rani Kaikeyi in “Ramayana,” Dutta shared her thoughts on the issue of unequal pay in the film industry.
Lara Dutta,’Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond‘ Actress said female actors are only paid ‘one tenth of what the male actor’ is paid.
Lara Dutta told in an interview: “We work as hard, if not harder, than most of our male counterparts in the business, but most women still get paid, if they are lucky, one-tenth of what the actor gets paid.”
Besides speaking about the pay disparity, Lara, who was a former Miss Universe, said things have changed in the industry and so has the shelf life of actresses.
Lara Dutta talked about the positive changes for female actors in the film industry. She mentioned how in the past, people might have thought that once you hit your thirties, your career would be over, but now that’s not the case. Lara, who is in her forties, shared that she’s still actively working and hasn’t faced such career limitations.
She began her acting journey with the movie “Andaaz” in 2003, marking 21 years in the industry. Lara highlighted the increased professionalism nowadays compared to when she started. She noted that the involvement of corporate entities and studios has made the industry more organized and efficient.
Lara also revealed her upcoming projects, including “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Suryast,” both currently in post-production and featuring Akshay Kumar.
