As an actor, Kareena Kapoor Khan knows her worth and expresses no qualms in putting it across during negotiations. In a recent interview, the actor said that female artistes voicing demands for equal pay in the film industry should be normalized as pay parity signifies respect for women. She said, “Just a few years ago, no one would talk about a man or woman actually getting equal pay in a movie. Now there are a lot of us being very vocal about it.”
Kareena recently faced trolling for allegedly hiding her fees to play Sita in an upcoming reimagining of the Ramayana. While the actor has not directly responded to the reports, she said, “I make it quite clear what I want and I think that respect should be given. It’s not about being demanding, it’s about being respectful towards women. And I think things are kind of changing.”
The actress also spoke about breaking age-old stereotypes attached to female artistes. Actresses have often bid adieu to their careers after marriage. However, Kareena, who married actor Saif Ali Khan in 2012, not only continued working, but also gave some of her career’s biggest successes and remains relevant to this day.
Kareena said, “When I married Saif, so many people told me that my career would be over because no producer wants to work with a married actress. At that time, no other Bollywood actress got married and then continued to work. But I just thought, OK, well, if it does end my career, then that’s fine, that’s my destiny. I’m not going to not marry the person that I love.”
On the work front, Kareena anticipates the release of ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’. She has also turned producer, bankrolling director Hansal Mehta’s next, starring her in the lead.
