'If Deepika Padukone is a bigger star, she should get the bigger piece of the pie': Ranbir Kapoor on gender pay parity

Ranbir Kapoor has been neck deep in promotions for his upcoming film titled Sanju in which he plays Sanjay Dutt. The Jagga Jasoos actor has always been known as the one to speak his heart out without mincing his words. In his recent interview with noted film critic Anupama Chopra for Film Companion, Ranbir spoke at length on the issue of gender pay parity in Bollywood. During the course of his conversation, the actor mentioned that in case he's working on a project with somebody like Deepika Padukone, who's as big or a bigger star than himself, then she should be getting the bigger piece of the pie. This came after he explained the concept of the industry being driven by the market value of a star. 

It all began when Chopra told Ranbir that Benedict Cumberbatch had recently said that he won't do a project unless he gets to know what the female actor in the film or TV series is getting (paid), adding that it's very important for the men in the industry to take a stand and make the place more equitable for women. Ranbir was asked if he thinks this kind of an initiative will ever take place in India when the men in positions of power (like Ranbir) take such stands.

To this, Ranbir replied saying, "I think somebody jut has to do it and if one person does it then it's like a domino effect. But the thing in our industry is, nobody really reveals what they get paid, I guess because of income tax purposes (smiles). My contemporaries who've worked with say - Deepika (Padukone) or Katrina (Kaif) or Priyanka Chopra, I think they're right up there. It's not that they're getting paid less than what I'm getting paid. There is a perception that an actor gets 'x' amount of crores and that's a perception. Today there is so much of awareness of what your market value is. This is one of the few industries that are so market-based. If your films are doing well, you'll get the money. If your films are not doing well, you'll not get the money."

Furthing adding to it, Ranbir explained, "Like you were mentioning Benedict (Cumberbatch) and his take on this, I think somebody has to do it. If I'm on a project and there's me and there's a Deepika in it and Deepika is as big or a bigger star than me, so then there has to be equality or she gets the bigger piece of the pie. But somebody has to do it." 

When asked who will that somebody be, Ranbir said, "I don't know. We'll wait and see."