Being paid equally, being boxed into the same roles, finding work after giving birth... Actors Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap discuss how to change women's roles in Bollywood on Kareena Kapoor Khan's show, What Women Want.
Thanks to Filmy Mirchi for the footage!
Thanks to Filmy Mirchi for the footage!
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Short filmTranscript
00:00No, but Anil ji, in Hollywood, some male actors have refused to work
00:04until they get an equal salary from their female co-stars.
00:08So what do you think about that?
00:09Should our actors also be, you know, kind of putting their foot down today?
00:13You two took a lot of money, yeah, from me.
00:18And there are so many films where the leading actress has taken more money
00:22and I was happy about it.
00:24A woman has become a mother.
00:26Now she's not a heroine, she's playing a mother's role.
00:28We need to change our collective perception first.
00:33I always feel women are superior.
00:35And I've always treated women as superior.
00:38And I've never...
00:39See, they take their own decisions.
00:40Sunita takes her own decision.
00:42Sonam takes her own decision.
00:43There are times when girls want to do films
00:48which are girl-centric or lady-centric or women-centric,
00:52but they want to say it.
00:54But even today, young girls sometimes,
00:57they are so influenced that they still want to do with successful heroes.
01:00Successful, big stars.
01:02They feel more safe.
01:04So she says, they talk in the press about what they want to do,
01:07but they get scared at times.
01:09They say, we'll be able to do it.
01:11They still want to play safe.
01:13So there's that side of the girls also,
01:16which has to also be in...
01:17We have to, you know, push them and tell them in the industry,
01:21don't be scared, do it.
01:23Yeah.
01:24No, but Anil ji, some male actors in Hollywood
01:27have refused to work until they get an equal salary as their female co-star.
01:32So what do you think about that?
01:34Should our actors also be, you know, kind of putting their foot down today?
01:38You took a lot of money from me.
01:42See, we are all breaking barriers.
01:44We are all doing that.
01:46But like you said, there are still some people.
01:48I said, she's asking for more money than a hero.
01:50I said, give it to her.
01:51So they all called me up also.
01:52I said, done.
01:53So they were calling when the negotiation was going on.
01:55I said, done.
01:57Give whatever she asks for.
01:59For me, more than actors, I think like, you know,
02:02it has to go from ground level up also.
02:04Yeah, yeah.
02:05I'm saying cinematographers, sound people, everything.
02:07Script writers, everybody.
02:09Script writers.
02:10There are so many incredible women voices coming
02:13in terms of script and filmmaking.
02:15So it has to go from ground level up.
02:17Yeah, it has to start at the bottom.
02:18But, you know, in all fields, women feel insecurity,
02:21you know, about their professional growth
02:23after they have children.
02:24Anurag, tell me what you think needs to happen
02:27so that actresses get it all professionally.
02:30We have to change our collective perception first.
02:33It's an old mindset.
02:34Like ever since I came into the industry,
02:36once a woman has become a mother,
02:39now she's not a heroine, she'll play a mother's role.
02:41I'm saying from a younger age,
02:43women playing mother roles to a hero who are older than them.
02:47I'm saying the day we become comfortable playing our age
02:51and being ourselves,
02:53no tension, then it doesn't matter.
02:54All the leading ladies have done their best film with me.
02:57No, that, yeah.
02:58You have to.
02:59We've looked amazing.
02:59Whether it's Madhuri, Aishwarya, Shreeji, or Kajol,
03:05you see those films, they are phenomenal in the film.
03:08And you've actually been one of those actors
03:10who have actually played men roles
03:14opposite stronger women characters.
03:16Absolutely, matter of fact.
03:17That is true.
03:18That's one of the reasons.
03:19With Kajol, with Aishwarya.
03:21Yeah, yeah, yeah.
03:22Right from Beta, I don't know from when on.
03:24Judaai.
03:25Judaai, yeah.
03:26In Judaai, the wife wants to sell me.
03:29You know what I'm saying?
03:30Negotiation is going on there.
03:32Both of them are talking about me, you know.
03:35You're an object in that film.
03:38And there are so many films where the leading actress
03:41has taken more money.
03:42And I did Khushi Khushi,
03:44so whenever you get a script like this,
03:46or a film like this,
03:48there's any lady or any girl who you feel,
03:51please send them to Rhea, or to me, or to Anurag.
03:55And they're always welcome with them, you know.
03:59And we are ready to make the film
04:02and do whatever we can.
04:03And now to conclude, I want to know
04:05if there's a woman who is being suppressed at work,
04:08what should be the first move she makes to resolve this?
04:12I think needs to voice it
04:14and everybody needs to hear it.
04:17I'm saying, we suppress the voices
04:19because our nature isn't coming from UP.
04:22I've seen that happen a lot.
04:23Right.
04:24The condition to say that
04:25you're not supposed to have a problem, deal with it.
04:27That's what you're conditioned to do.
04:29That's what you're conditioned to do.
04:30But it's very important to speak up.
04:32It's very important to express everything.
04:34It doesn't matter what it is.