Divya Dutta on pay disparity among actors: We do live in a male dominated society, where we are hero driven

Pay disparity has been a matter of discussion for a long time in Bollywood. While things are changing for female stars, actor Divya Dutta feels the inherent belief is still the same: “We live in a male-dominated society, where we are hero driven. But I think with the onset of OTT, there’s been democratisation.”

Several reports suggest that some female actors ask for a bigger pay cheque with more authority now. Actor Deepika Padukone, reportedly, had asked the makers of a film the same fees as her husband, actor Ranveer Singh. Dutta, who will be seen next in the films Dhaakad and Sharmaji Ki Beti says, “If anybody is doing that, it’s a personal choice. I’d do that with someone I have a great rapport with. That’s something you do out of sheer emotions, not because of pay disparity.”

But as far as pay parity goes, Dutta, who has been in the industry for close to three decades, feels there is still a “long way to go”. She adds, “That is because we have our mass audience that is hero driven. Aisa nahin hai ki actresses ko kuch milta nahin hai, but it is about demand and supply. There are top heroines who charge as much as the hero.”

Emphasising on what it’s like on OTTs now, she says, “Stars or newcomers, everyone gets equal opportunities, and you can put them in whatever genre you want.”