‘Queen’ Kangana Ranaut during the trailer launch of her upcoming film ‘Panga’ said that some of the successful Bollywood actresses have been justifying gender pay disparity giving some excuses. She said if they do not feel empowered, nobody can make them feel empowered.
Indirectly, Kangana has taken a dig at Alia Bhatt, Taapsee Pannu and Sonakshi Sinha over their remarks on pay disparity, wherein they had justified earning less than their male co-stars.
When asked about her opinion on women empowerment, Kangana said, “I think everybody has a different definition of women empowerment in their minds. I have heard some very successful women justifying the pay disparity in the film industry. I have read in interviews and articles that actresses being okay with their male counterparts getting more money for a project, giving excuses that they bring more to the table. Some even say that an actress has a lesser shelf life”.
She further added, “If you do not feel empowered, nobody can make you feel empowered. You have to feel like an equal. You should feel that you are equal to others, you also have the same pancreas, same hearts, same kidneys, same eyes and other parts. So, also think that you are equal to others. Half of the battle is lost when you think that you do not deserve a certain thing. So, I feel that you are as empowered as you think you are”.
Her upcoming film ‘Panga’ is a sports drama will also feature Jassi Gill, Richa Chadha and Neena Gupta in pivotal roles. The film is slated to release on January 24, 2020.