Dia Mirza: It's About Time That Women In Bollywood Address Gender Disparity
There may be instances when female stars demanded and received pay parity but actor Dia Mirza believes real change will come when we tell stories that give equal opportunity to both the genders.
There
may
be
instances
when
female
stars
demanded
and
received
pay
parity
but
actor
Dia
Mirza
believes
real
change
will
come
when
we
tell
stories
that
give
equal
opportunity
to
both
the
genders.
The
actor
believes
the
industry
needs
to
mature
in
its
treatment
of
women
and
the
kind
of
roles
that
are
written
for
them.
"It
is
about
time
that
women
in
industry
address
gender
disparity.
Until
the
industry
matures
in
its
understanding
that
we
need
to
treat
women
equally,
not
much
can
change.
It
is
a
combination
of
two
things.
One
is
that
women
need
to
start
asserting
their
rights
and
also
it
has
to
be
narrated.
Gender
pay
disparity
exists
largely
also
because
films
are
usually
headlined
by
men," Dia
told
PTI
in
an
interview.
The
actor-producer
said
sometimes
it
is
difficult
to
ask
for
equal
pay
as
the
film
is
driven
by
a
male
star
and
the
roles
of
women
are
not
pivotal
to
its
story.
"Salaries
are
fixed
based
on
the
popularity
of
the
stars...
A
film
shouldn't
have
to
be
a
female
dominated
film
or
male
dominated.
They
should
give
equal
opportunity
to
women.
The
balance
is
cued
in
not
just
the
way
we
function
but
also
in
the
way
we
tell
stories.
Things
will
improve
when
we
start
witnessing
that
balance
in
the
stories
we
tell,
in
the
choices
we
make
and
in
the
way
we
assert
ourselves,"
said.
Dia
said
there
is
a
shift
in
the
way
industry
treats
its
female
stars
but
much
still
needs
to
be
done.
"I
agree
that
more
films
these
days
have
strong
female
characters
but
we
need
many,
many
more.
Also
if
you
think
about
the
representation
of
women
in
the
industry
in
the
technical
side
--
directors,
writers,
cinematographers,
sound
recorders,
editors
etc.
--,
even
that
ratio
is
skewed.
So
we
need
more
women
storytellers
to
bring
balance
to
that
skewed
equation.''
"I
joined
the
industry
at
a
time
the
shift
we
see
today
didn't
even
exist.
I
remember
once
when
I
refused
a
film
I
was
asked,
'Why
did
you
refuse
the
film?
It
has
a
superstar
in
it
and
you
have
four
songs,
so
why
are
you
saying
no?' The
point
is
that
the
idea
of
what
women
contributed
to
a
film
was
very
different
from
what
it
is
becoming
now,
especially
in
the
commercial
cinema,"
Dia
said.
She
also
commended
the
#MeToo
and
Time's
Up
movements
that
started
after
the
Harvey
Weinstein
sexual
harassment
scandal.
Many
people
in
India
also
resonated
with
the
movements
and
Dia
feels
social
media
has
empowered
the
women
all
over
the
world
to
speak
up
against
the
ill.
"Social
media
has
played
a
very
positive
role
in
bringing
about
a
social
change.''
She
added,
''I
think
it
has
opened
minds.
So
many
women
in
our
country
today
have
become
better
aware
and
informed,
and
have
a
better
sense
of
their
rights
We
are
all
connected.
And
social
media
is
actually
illustrating
that
by
example.
It
has
so
often
shown
to
us
that
our
actions
or
inactions
are
all
connected."
Dia,
36,
said
sexual
harassment
is
not
just
limited
to
film
industry
as
women
encounter
it
daily,
in
offices
and
in
public
transport.
"I
remember
walking
to
school
as
a
child
and
getting
stalked.
These
are
not
experiences
that
men
have
regularly
in
life.
I
mean
there
are
cases
where
men
also
face
it
but
women,
for
most
part
of
our
lives
there
is
some
kind
of
harassment
that
we
experience."PTI