Pay disparity has been a long-standing talking point in the Indian film industry, with actors and filmmakers frequently debating the gap between the earnings of male and female stars. Saif Ali Khan has weighed in on the issue, stating that he believes the pay cheque is largely driven by box office economics and audience demand rather than gender.
During a recent podcast episode on Soha Ali Khan's YouTube channel, Saif mentioned that actors who hold a similar stature deserve to be paid equally. However, he acknowledged that the industry’s pay structure is largely influenced by a star’s ability to pull audiences to theatres.
“If the actors are of equal stature, they should be paid the same amount. But I also feel the economics work in a certain way. If you are putting people in seats in the theatre, you get paid accordingly. Everyone understands that relationship,” he said.
Saif further explained that the system is not designed to favour one gender, but instead is a reflection of an actor’s market value and box-office pull.
“It’s not like just because you are a certain gender you deserve to be paid more or less. It’s actually a very balanced economic system where people are clear that this person is a superstar because they are filling theatres. They know their worth, charge that price and get paid,” he added.
Kunal Kemmu also joined the conversation, elaborating on the “maths” behind how actors’ remunerations are determined in the industry.
Saif is set to appear in Netflix’s period drama Hum Hindustani, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes story of India’s first democratic election, alongside Pratik Gandhi and directed by Rahul Dholakia. The release date is yet to be announced.
