‘RIGHT NOW, EQUAL PAY WILL BE UNFAIR’

Taapsee says it won’t be right till women-led films make equally big opening collections as men’s films

Actor Taapsee Pannu (right) says she can only demand equal pay in the film industry if the opening box office numbers of her movies are as big as her male colleagues’ films.

The actor, who recently featured in Naam Shabana, said films like Queen and Mary Kom are still a rarity in Bollywood. “How many movies like these do you actually come across in a year? Probably one or two maximum. It’s unfair to ask for an equal pay when you’re not getting an equal amount of opening collection,” said Taapsee.

“The day the audience walks in the theatre and sees a female protagonist’s film, gives us the same amount of bumper opening of `10-15 crore, that day I will say we need to be paid equally,” she added.

The Pink star said that male actors getting bigger opening numbers as compared to female actors is something which needs to change. “But right now it’s unfair for producers to give us an equal amount of money because no matter how good the film is, like mine was this year’s biggest opener for a female protagonist film, but if you compare it with other male protagonist, they get far higher (opening).”

Meanwhile, Taapsee, who will be next seen in Judwaa 2, refuted reports that she has been signed by Anurag Kashyap to star in his next. “Anurag Kashyap has never even approached me with a script, so I don’t know what are these talks of a film about. I haven’t signed anything. I’ll proudly announce it, you don’t have to wait for any rumour,” she said.