Ayushmann Khurrana Hiked His Fee By 500%. I Think Female Actors Should Ask For What They Deserve Too
There may be a lot of people who invest all their energy in pulling others down, we don’t want to be such people. So when I heard that Ayushmann Khurrana has hiked his fee 500 times, I was like ‘wow, this guy totally deserves it.’ He works hard and has a distinct choice of films – and that is what sets him apart. In his movies, he is never the star but just a regular guy going through some really uniquely hilarious situations. Khurrana has become a brand of sorts and stands out even in a multi-starrer movie. That’s when you can say an actor has truly arrived. He used to charge two crores for a film till now, which is quite less than what he deserves, considering that he is quite a crowd-puller! From 2020, he will be taking home 10 crore per film.
A source told an entertainment portal, “Dream Girl actor Ayushmann Khurrana, has been having a dream run at the box-office. His penchant for quirky movies with some highly exciting characters has made him an extremely popular star among the audience who feel that he is among those rare stars who is combining success with sensible cinema. Brand Ayushmann today spells consistency, success and good content.” In fact, I completely support that. “The fact that he can rake in double figures on an opening day is probably the reason he has decided to hike his remuneration,” the source added.
It’s great that he has the courage to demand what he rightly deserves. Because unless you take a stand, you won’t get the salary you should get. Now we may not be getting crores or even 10% of it but we completely understand what it feels like when they negotiate unfairly. Once, a recruiter told me expecting a 30% hike was too much and I may not get monies but “exposure.” I mean, no thanks.
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Forget getting what you deserve, in India, there’s a huge gender-based pay disparity. And when I say that, do you think there’s even a remote possibility that it’s the men who are at the receiving end? Well, they are at the end that’s receiving more money, for sure. The fact that we automatically just know that it has to be the women who get discriminated against, shows how deep-rooted this is. This problem has been existing in Bollywood too and it is only recently that we’ve been talking about it.
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Deepika Padukone is the only actress who has been able to bridge this gap, and we are proud. She refuses to accept less than what she deserves. “Today in films, there is no lack of opportunity. The kind of films and the place of a woman in these films have changed a lot. And, of course, the pay. I would like to speak for myself. I have been able to bridge the gap, in terms of what my male contemporaries get paid versus what I am getting paid,” she had said. She further added, “Today, I am ready to take those steps, measures or decisions for myself because I am going to be able to sleep peacefully at night. I don’t think I would be able to live with the thought that despite the same kind of creative contribution as my male co-star, and bringing in the same kind of value to the film as him, I am being underpaid. I was not okay with that.”
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In fact, in 2017 when Priyanka Chopra became the only actress on the Forbes Top 10 list of highest paid celebrities, she questioned why there aren’t more women on it. ‘I feel very happy about the fact that I am at a position at least at some point I am on the same level as my male counterparts are as it usually does not happen in the film industry. But at the same time, I also raise a question why they are no more actresses on the top 10 list,” Priyanka said.
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Kangana too added her two cents to the conversation, “Personally, my logic for remuneration has always been that I have 365 days to work, as much as any male star. An actor’s pay must be determined by the amount of work s/he does. Your gender is no yardstick for it.”
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These actresses are taking a stand but the problem won’t get fixed unless a majority of actresses do the same. Recently when a reporter asked Kareena, Alia and Karan Johar about the pay gap, their answers were disappointing. Kareena did say that she’d like to earn as much as her male counterparts but how about really putting your foot down? Alia, on the other hand said she was okay with what she is getting paid. She isn’t standing for her and for other women who could really use the vote. Karan, too gave a diplomatic response.
ALSO READ: Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt And Karan Johar Got Asked About The Pay Gap In Bollywood. Kareena’s Response Was Interesting, Karan And Alia Sat On The Fence.
If men can do it – that is, demanding what the money they deserve – women can do it too. And complaining won’t help unless the actresses help themselves.
