Superstar
Aamir
Khan
recently
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.
The
52-year-old
actor,
who
has
been
the
star
of
some
of
the
biggest
money-spinners
in
Bollywood,
said
he
"strongly
believes" in
equality
but
the
change
will
happen
only
if
there
is
a
paradigm
shift
in
society's
attitude.
"Unfortunately,
what
has
happened
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
said
the
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
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
in
an
interview
here.
The
actor,
whose
last
"Dangal"
had
strong
women
characters
and
his
upcoming
"Secret
Superstar"
also
has
a
teenage
girl
at
the
centre,
said
he
would
not
mind
his
female
co-actors
getting
a
bigger
pay
cheque.
"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
then
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."
Aamir
added
that
every
film
has
only
"two
or
three"
people
in
the
whole
cast
and
crew,
who
can
bring
people
to
the
theatres
and
that
has
nothing
to
do
with
the
gender.
"They
can
be
a
man
or
a
woman
doesn't
matter
if
they
can
pull
people
in.
That
benefit
they
are
brining
to
the
film
is
unique
to
them,
not
anyone
else.
That
is
what
we
describe
as
stardom.
That
could
be
Salim-Javed
as
writers
and
Rahman
as
a
music
director,"
he
added.
Aamir
also
batted
for
equal
pay
for
the
technicians
as
he
feels
their
contribution
to
the
film
is
equal
to
that
of
actors.
"I
feel
even
technicians
should
get
equal
money
as
actors.
I
don't
understand
why
is
a
cameraman's
or
an
editor's
work
is
less
important
than
an
actor.
I
strongly
feel
all
the
people
in
the
creative
team
are
contributing
equally
and
should
be
paid
equally.
Everyone
should
be
valued
equally.
There
are
only
two
people,
who
can
be
valued
a
little
higher
-
the
director
and
the
writer,"
he
said.
Aamir
said
as
far
as
he
is
concerned,
he
does
not
charge
an
advance
fee
for
his
movies.
The
actor
said
he
takes
a
percentage
of
the
profit.
"I
take
a
percentage
of
the
profit.
And
that
is
assuming
the
fact
that
the
film
makes
a
profit.
Fortunately,
my
films
have
made
profit.
But
if
they
don't,
I
am
the
guy
who
takes
the
hit
as
I
get
paid
in
the
last.
"So,
I
follow
the
oldest
method
of
asking
for
money
in
performing
arts.
Which
is
that
you
perform
for
everybody
and
you
take
out
your
cap
and
if
people
like
your
work,
they
give
you
money
and
if
they
don't,
they
turn
their
back
at
you
and
leave,"
he
said.
The
actor
said
there
may
be
a
pay
gap,
but
there
is
no
gender
inequality
in
the
film
industry
in
terms
of
work.
"I
feel
industry
doesn't
differentiate
on
the
basis
of
gender.
If
we
look
at
a
film
crew
we
will
see
a
lot
of
women
doing
important
jobs.
My
wife
(Kiran
Rao)
is
a
director,
Reema
Kagti
and
Farah
Khan
are
also
there
and
they
are
not
looked
any
differently
from
a
male
director.
Their
gender
is
unimportant.
We
have
equal
status,
in
terms
of
gender,
when
it
comes
to
a
film
crew."
Aamir
said
he
is
happy
that
the
industry
has
started
churning
out
more
women
oriented/centred
films.
"There
are
films
coming
out
which
have
powerful
women
characters.
There
was
Quee' which
Kangana
had
done,
then
there
was
Simran.
I
also
did
two
films
Dangal
and
Secret
Superstar.
The
films
are
being
made
for
women.
We
are
moving
in
the
right
direction.
With
inputs
from
PTI.