Sonakshi Sinha unhappy with pay gap between male and female stars in Bollywood

Actor Sonakshi Sinha has played some strong characters in her films. Her voice is just as strong when it comes to speaking out against the pay gap between major male and female stars in Bollywood.

Pay gap — a situation where men get paid more for doing the same jobs that women do — is an issue around the world. Bollywood is no exception. If there’s one thing that Sonakshi wants to change in the industry, it is this. “The only thing I can think of changing in Bollywood right now is the pay disparity, because we’re working in this day and age where films revolving around women are being made,” says Sonakshi. The actor has been the female lead in women-centric films such as Akira (2016) and Lootera (2013).

In the past, actors such as Anushka Sharma, Shah Rukh Khan, Radhika Apte and Kareena Kapoor Khan have also spoken out against unequal pay in the film industry.

The 29-year-old Sonakshi feels that if a female actor can carry an entire film on her own, she should be given the remuneration she rightfully deserves. “If a filmmaker shows that kind of trust in a woman, and if she brings the returns [on investment], you can and should give her the pay that you give to the men,” says Sonakshi emphatically.

In the recent past, Sonakshi has spoken about feminism and done photo shoots to spread her belief in the movement. Although she feels strongly about it, the actor clarifies that she never took the first step to endorse the concept. “Feminism is something that usually comes up in conversations. It’s not something for which I have specially given an interview; I have always been asked a question and given a reply,” says Sonakshi.

But she hopes to translate her feminist leanings into concrete action, stating, “If you feel strongly about anything,then it shows in your actions, in how you behave, and in your opinions.”