Aamir Khan: I don't mind if my female co-stars get a bigger paycheck than I do
| Oct 12, 2017, 12:41 IST
Aamir Khan is known to make blockbuster Bollywood films and has given stellar performances in all of them. On Wednesday, the actor acknowledged the gender pay gap in Bollywood, saying the difference in the paycheck results from the patriarchal mindset of society, which does not see women as heroes. "Unfortunately, what has happened is that most of our stars are male. The people who draw crowd are male and it is a result of the patriarchal influence on our society."
The actor also stated that children are conditioned to look at men as heroes from a young age. "We don't see women as heroes. We start planting these thoughts in our heads since childhood. There has to be a paradigm shift in that. I am someone who strongly believes in equality whether you are a man or a woman. But ultimately in the economics of cinema, anyone who pulls people in will be paid higher. There is no question about it," Aamir said.
Aamir also said that he wouldn't mind if his female co-stars received a bigger paycheck than he did. "Anyone who has the ability to fill seats gets bigger share in the fee. So the day she (Zaira Wasim) will be able to fill more seats than me, I won't mind her getting a bigger paycheck than mine. And that is not going to be determined by her gender, that is the market that will determine. As a producer, I will want her if she is benefiting my film, gender doesn't matter. I will give her value, from a purely economical point of view."
Well, if only everyone thought like Aamir did, the gender pay gap wouldn't exist! Stay tuned for more updates.
The actor also stated that children are conditioned to look at men as heroes from a young age. "We don't see women as heroes. We start planting these thoughts in our heads since childhood. There has to be a paradigm shift in that. I am someone who strongly believes in equality whether you are a man or a woman. But ultimately in the economics of cinema, anyone who pulls people in will be paid higher. There is no question about it," Aamir said.
Aamir also said that he wouldn't mind if his female co-stars received a bigger paycheck than he did. "Anyone who has the ability to fill seats gets bigger share in the fee. So the day she (Zaira Wasim) will be able to fill more seats than me, I won't mind her getting a bigger paycheck than mine. And that is not going to be determined by her gender, that is the market that will determine. As a producer, I will want her if she is benefiting my film, gender doesn't matter. I will give her value, from a purely economical point of view."
Well, if only everyone thought like Aamir did, the gender pay gap wouldn't exist! Stay tuned for more updates.