Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra has openly supported Deepika Padukone’s fight for pay parity in Bollywood. The actor has made headlines this year for leaving projects like Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit and the Kalki 2898 AD sequel after her requests for fair pay and shorter shooting hours were not met.
In a conversation on Cyrus Braocha’s Cyrus Says YouTube channel, Sudhir Mishra discussed how pay parity should work in films. He said, “She must have been paid more than Rahul Bose in the film, and she should have been. Parity means if the woman’s part is as good as the man’s, then she should get paid as much. If it’s better, she should get paid more.” He also added that payment in films is often linked to box office performance, explaining, “In cinema, a star gets paid more because they bring in the box office.”
Sudhir emphasized that, if an actress like Deepika Padukone brings in audiences and is as big a star as any male actor, “she should be paid that much. Just leave aside this gentleman called Shah Rukh Khan, who seems to never age. If Deepika is as big a star, she should be paid equally… it’s about time.”
Earlier this year, Deepika’s exit from Spirit was widely reported after her request for an eight-hour shooting schedule and a share in profits was denied. Later, Triptii Dimri was cast opposite Prabhas. It was also confirmed by Vyjayanthi Movies that Deepika would not appear in the Kalki 2898 AD sequel.
Sudhir’s remarks have sparked a wider discussion on fair pay for female actors in Bollywood, highlighting the growing demand for equality on film sets.
