Radhika Apte speaks up on the pay disparity in Bollywood

Radhika Apte is one of the most acclaimed actors in Indian cinema we have today and she has successfully proven that she is the biggest Indie star we have in our country. With her presence all over the entertainment mediums – digital, films, short films and lots more, Radhika has been omnipresent. All her performances in her film or shows or web series’ have been praised a lot. So when she demands so much respect on social media, does she get the money she demands? Or does she think there’s still a pay disparity?

In an interview to Mumbai Mirror, the ‘Andhadhun’ actress speaks up about the differences in working culture between India and abroad. “People there are always on time and they pay on time. These are two significant differences. If Salman Khan brings in Rs 200 crore and I bring in not even a crore, it’s obvious that he’ll be paid more since he is adding value to the box-office. I don’t dispute that, but I have an issue with actors who don’t contribute to ticket sales. Hey, even the mother of a lead character is paid lesser than the father. That needs to change,” said Radhika.

Talking about picking up her role, Radhika said that it was a conscious decision on her part to do projects which had more substance. “It wasn’t a plan if that’s what you are saying. The reason to do a film is the script, the director and character and what I am looking for at that point of time. It needs to challenge me.”

When spoken about nepotism, she said to Mumbai Mirror, “I don’t like the word outsider. If I’m a director and my son wants to be an actor, why shouldn’t I launch him? The industry today is a blend of both worlds. On one hand there’s Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Kangana Ranaut who were not born into a film family but have made it big and then there are the star kids. I like that abroad you can go to drama school and then for auditions like everyone else for a role. It’s a fair playing ground there. With casting directors in Bollywood, things are changing here too.”

Radhika has worked with some of the best directors of our nation, right from Sriram Raghavan, Prakash Raj, R Balki, Leena Yadav and Anurag Kashyap whose world of cinema is sometimes poles apart.

After back to back commitments in the past year, Radhika Apte is on a break now, talking about her taxing schedule Radhika shared, “It is (hectic), but now I’m on a script-reading break. The hunt is on for interesting content.”

Also Read: Radhika Apte facepalms and runs into a cafe after spotting shutterbugs

Prateek Sur

Born a Movie Buff, working as a Film Critique and enjoying life as a Bollywood Reporter.

Email: editor@bollywoodbubble.com Phone: +91 8355910465