New Delhi (Sputnik): Gender parity in work with equal pay has been a contentious issue and this time it has been flagged by Bollywood diva Priyanka Chopra. The actor, who is also a star in Hollywood, talked to InStyle fashion portal in Dublin and revealed that she has had experiences of being paid way less than the male protagonist.
"I feel it everywhere, especially when you're doing movies with really big actors; whether it's in India or America. If an actor is getting 100 bucks, the conversation will start with max, like, 8 bucks. The gap is that staggering. In America, we don't talk about it as brashly, whereas in India the issue is not skirted around. I've been told straight up if it's a female role in a movie with big, male actors attached, your worth is not really considered as much," she said.
"No one will say that a woman is getting paid less because she’s a woman of colour, but the numbers mostly end up reflecting that," says @priyankachopra. Did you miss this eye-opening interview? https://t.co/3NzEiV9djz
— VOGUE India (@VOGUEIndia) April 11, 2018
Priyanka Chopra being denied a role because of her skin color is a prime example of why we need more diversity in Hollywood. A character of color should be normal, not a rare occurrence that usually just turns out to be an offensive stereotype.
— Brown Girl Magazine (@BrownGirlMag) April 11, 2018
"It happens in both countries, it's just that here, it's hidden behind other things. In America, everyone is so worried about being liable that they don't want to say anything wrong, but they end up doing it anyway … I was out for a movie, and somebody [from the studio] called one of my agents and said, 'She's the wrong — what word did they use?— physicality.' So in my defense as an actor, I'm like, 'Do I need to be skinnier? Do I need to get in shape? Do I need to have abs?' Like, what does 'wrong physicality' mean?" Chopra pauses.
For those of you questioning what racism looks like in the entertainment industry, look no further. @priyankachopra has kicked down barriers on US TV but that didn't stop someone just last year from saying she's the 'wrong color' for a role.
— Piya Sinha-Roy (@PiyaSRoy) April 10, 2018
DO BETTER. https://t.co/WFoclm532Z
"And then my agent broke it down for me. Like, 'I think, Pray, they meant that they wanted someone who's not brown.' It affected me," Chopra told the fashion magazine.
She also acknowledged that the competition among women is harsher.
"We've been taught for eons that women need to fight each other, clamber and climb on top of each other to get that one job. And, now we're seeing through it," Chopra told the fashion magazine.
Priyanka Chopra was in Dublin for the shoot of the third season of the ABC series "Quantico."
