Kriti Sanon on pay parity: Women-centric films don’t get same budget as men`s

The discussion on pay parity in the Indian film industry has been ongoing for years. Despite repeated conversations, the gap continues to exist, says Kriti Sanon. One of the most prominent stars of Hindi cinema and now also a producer, the National Award-winning actress recently spoke about the issue and questioned why the disparity persists.

Kriti Sanon on pay parity

In an interview with CNN-News18, Kriti admitted that the lack of equal pay bothers her. “Actually, considering all the other industries, I don’t understand why pay parity exists. Because for certain roles and jobs, whether you are male or female, it shouldn’t matter — the pay should be the same. In films, yes, we’ve been having this conversation for a very, very long time and trust me, it pinches us more than anyone else,” she said.

`Fewer women led films than men`s`

Kriti also acknowledged that an actor’s salary often depends on their audience pull. However, she pointed out that women-led films are far fewer in number and are usually made on smaller budgets. “Even if it’s a film led by a woman, I feel it’s not scaled at the same budget as a film led by a man. Producers are scared that they won’t recover the money. So it becomes a circle, female-led films don’t end up making as much money as male-led films, and then it’s said, ‘Oh, that’s why his fee is more or her fee is less,’” she explained.

Leading with example

Despite the challenges, Kriti believes change is on the horizon. She said films today are increasingly driven by content rather than gender, citing the success of Crew, co-starring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Tabu. “I like the fact that a film’s success is no longer dependent on whether it’s led by a man or a woman — it’s about content. When Crew, led by three women, entertained audiences and performed well at the box office, it gave me hope. It showed that female-led films don’t necessarily have to be serious; they can be fun, entertaining, and shot on a grand scale too. Things will only change when producers have the heart to take risks — risks on the subject, not on who’s leading it,” she said.