New Delhi: Priyanka Chopra is one of the four Indians who have made it to the BBC’s list of 100 women this year. However, during an interview after this, the actress revealed how things were never easy for her, especially in the beginning.
Speaking to BBC, she talked about how she never got pay parity in Bollywood, in fact, in her early days, she was paid 10 per cent of her male co-star. “I have never done pay parity in Bollywood. I will be paid around 10% of my male co-actor’s salary. It (pay gap) is huge, huge. And a lot of women still deal with it. I am sure if I work with a male co-actor in Bollywood, I will too.” She further added, “My generation of female actors have definitely asked (for equal pay). We asked but we haven’t found it.
Speaking more on the prejudices she faced as a female actor, she said, “I thought it was perfectly okay to sit on set for hours and hours while my male co-actor just took his time, and decided that Whenever he wants to show up, he is on the set when we are shooting.
When asked how different things are in Hollywood, she said that this is the first time she is playing a lead role opposite a male co-star. “Well, this is the first time this has happened to me, this has happened in Hollywood. So I don’t know how to go further. Because this was my first show with a male actor as a co-star,” she said.
He further explained how he was called dark because of his complexion. “I was called ‘black cat’, ‘darkie’. I mean, what does ‘darkie’ mean in a country where we’re literally all brown?” he said.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Priyanka Chopra will be next seen in international projects like ‘It’s All Coming Back to Me’ and ‘Citadel’. ‘Citadel’ produced by Russo Brothers will release on OTT on Prime Video. The upcoming science-fiction drama series is being directed by Patrick Morgan and also stars Richard Madden alongside Priyanka.
In Bollywood, she will star in Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Jee Le Zara’ alongside Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif, which marks Farhan Akhtar’s return to the director’s chair after ‘Don 2’. Reportedly ‘Jee Le Zara’ will go on floors soon and will be ready for release in the summer of 2023.