Zeenat Aman says ‘it is disappointing’ as she talks about the existing gender pay gap in Bollywood

Ever since Zeenat Aman made her Instagram debut in February 2023, she has been dropping some gems on social media. Be it in the form of throwback pics, unseen memories or her opinions, the veteran actress has made her timeline very exciting. With her latest post, Zeenat Aman addressed a very poignant issue pertaining to the industry, gender pay disparity.

Zeenat Aman on gender pay gap in Bollywood

The gender pay gap in Bollywood has been a topic of discussion from time immemorial. Many actresses have stood up for their rights in this regard. While many celebrities, men and women, have also decoded that the pay depends on who can pull in more audience.

Presenting her take on the issue, Aman dropped a nostalgic video from the sets of her 1980 film Qurbani. Explaining the context, she shared, “In the late 70s, Keith Adam from the Australian Broadcasting Commission popped by the set of Qurbani, where I was rehearsing for ‘Laila o Laila’, and snagged himself an interview.“

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A post shared by Zeenat Aman (@thezeenataman)

Zeenat Aman finds the current situation ‘disappointing’

Using the footage as a reference point, Aman insisted that while many things have changed in Bollywood for the better, the pay gap has still remained. She wrote, “It’s been nearly 50 years since this footage was shot, and the industry has changed immensely since. The roles available to women are clearly not just ornamental anymore. What hasn’t changed though is the gender pay gap. In my time I was lauded as the “highest paid female actor”, but the disparity in the pay cheque between my male co-stars and myself was so vast it was laughable.“

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A post shared by Zeenat Aman (@thezeenataman)

She added, “The Zeenat you see in this clip was quite certain that half a century would be enough time to even the scales. So it disappoints me that even today women in the film industry don’t have wage parity. Women have consistently put in the work, and I really think that the onus is now on our men – actors, directors, producers – to ensure that their female co-workers (not just stars) are paid fairly. It seems such a simple and obvious thing, and yet it would be revolutionary if any man actually did this.“

Aman has always been vocal about her opinions and presented her takes on things unabashedly. She is loved and adored by the audiences, and seeing this avatar of her on social media is really endearing.

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