Bhumi Pednekar recently shed light on the issue of pay disparity in Bollywood, sharing her personal experiences with the wage gap. The actress was last seen in ‘Mere Husband Ki Biwi’ alongside Arjun Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh, and the film hit theatres yesterday (February 21).
In a recent conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Bhumi emphasised that the pay gap isn’t exclusive to the film industry. She added that the issue of pay disparity exists across all work sectors. “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), Bhumi shared.
Bhumi further highlighted how the commercial success of an actor often becomes the benchmark for pay scales, though it doesn’t always translate into fairness. “Aur kai baar hum yeh kehte hai ki, joh actor zyada business lata hai… woh bilkul sahi hai. Yaha pe seniority ki baat nahi ho rahi. I’ve been at places where I have achieved as much as a male co-star and yet I have been paid way less” (And many times, we say that the actor who brings in more business deserves it… which is absolutely right. This isn’t about seniority. I’ve been in situations where I achieved as much as a male co-star and yet was paid significantly less), she revealed.
Bhumi proudly shared that last year, on a well-known set, she was the highest-paid actor. She considers this a fair change and a personal achievement. She also believes that only new producers who value equality can bring about such changes in the industry.
