Deepika Padukone is in the game again on remuneration and pay parity in the Indian film industry when she walked away from a movie because the producers were unwilling to meet her asking price.
The actress said the male lead of the project had already been finalized and she knew how much he was being paid. Deepika felt her own success and market value justified the price she quoted to the makers.
But when the production team told her that they did not have the budget to meet her remuneration expectations, Deepika refused to compromise and walked away from the project.
Her comments have reopened the long-standing debate over the pay gap between male and female actors in Bollywood particularly in films under the leadership of well-established stars. Deepika had said before that women actors should know how much money they make and negotiate from a position of confidence.
Deepika’s professional decisions have also been the focus of the conversation recently. She has also exited from projects such as Spirit and the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD. Spirit was discussed on remuneration, profit sharing and working conditions but there have been different reasons for her departure.
Deepika’s latest statement adds another dimension to the conversation: whether an established female superstar should accept a lower fee simply because a film’s budget does not accommodate her asking price when a male co-star is already being paid a known amount?
The actress’s position is simple. If she knows the level of remuneration being offered to another actor and feels her own record is sufficient to warrant comparable or higher compensation, she’d rather reject the project than accept terms she considers unfair.
And that is a larger shift in the way leading actresses negotiate their careers. The Bollywood remuneration structure has for years been dominated by men, but the number of female actors has been much lower than men even when they play a central role in the marketing and commercial success of a movie.
Deepika is, however, one of India’s most successful actresses. She has made big blockbusters and large-scale films like Padmaavat, Chennai Express, Piku, Pathaan, Jawan, Fighter and Kalki 2898 AD. In recent years she has shown that she is open to projects not only on the basis of the role but of professional qualities.
Her words also convey a fundamental reality of the film business: that remuneration is always a negotiation between an actor and a producer. A production house has the right to set its budget; an actor has the right to determine if the offered compensation matches their expectations.
Others are talking about alternative compensation arrangements in the industry (profit sharing and backend deals). Such models allow established stars to have an impact on a film’s box office success as well as a salary for their acting. Deepika’s negotiations have also brought the question of actresses wanting to have a bigger part in the commercial rewards of a film to the fore.
Deepika’s position therefore goes beyond one film. It is a question of how the industry determines the monetary value of its actors and actresses.
Her decision to walk away sends a clear message: knowing one’s market value also means being willing to say no when the financial terms don’t match it.
And whether producers agree with her valuation is another matter. Deepika’s refusal to accept a project and not accept a fee she thinks is inadequate is likely to keep the debate over pay parity, star power and remuneration alive across Bollywood.
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