Deepika Padukone should be paid equal to male stars, says Sudhir Mishra: In all Bhansali films, she’s the main character

Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra backed Deepika Padukone, stating that female actors should receive pay on par with their male co-stars based on their contributions.

From working hours to pay parity, Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone is rallying for equality on film sets. She reportedly exited Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit and also the Kalki 2898 AD sequel after the makers couldn’t accommodate her demands. Now, filmmaker Sudhir Mishra has come out in support of Deepika.

Sudhir Mishra talks about pay parity

In a podcast with Cyrus Braocha on his YouTube channel Cyrus Says, Sudhir spoke about Kareena Kapoor’s pay for his film Chameli and discussed the issue of pay parity in cinema. 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. But it’s also got to do with the box office. One thing you have to understand is that in cinema, you don’t get paid, you get a share in the profits. In cinema, a star gets paid more because they bring in the box office.”

He added that nowadays, some stars are paid more than the money they bring in. “If Deepika Padukone brings in the audience and is as big a star as any male actor, which I think she is, quite a big star, 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. In all the Bhansali films she did, she’s the main character. So I don’t see the problem. I think she should be paid equally, and it’s about time,” he said.

Why Deepika Padukone is not a part of Spirit and Kalki 2898 AD Sequel

In May, Deepika Padukone sparked a discussion about work-life balance in the industry after she exited Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit because her request for an eight-hour shooting shift was not met. Reports also suggested that the actor demanded a share in the film’s profits, which did not go down well with the director. Later, Vanga replaced Deepika with Triptii Dimri opposite Prabhas in the film. In September, Kalki 2898 AD producer Vyjayanthi Movies announced that Deepika would not be part of the sequel.

Deepika Padukone’s upcoming films

Deepika will next be seen in Shah Rukh Khan’s King, directed by Siddharth Anand. The film also stars Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Raghav Juyal, and Saurabh Shukla in key roles, and is currently under production. Apart from this, Deepika will also be seen opposite Allu Arjun in AA22 x A6, helmed by Atlee and produced by Sun Pictures. The film is said to be a sci-fi action entertainer.