When Aamir Khan commented on Bollywood's pay disparity: 'Yes, heroines work very hard, but so do cameramen'

Pay disparity in Bollywood has long been a topic of debate for a long time. Despite the immense talent and hard work of female actors, there remains a significant gap between their earnings and those of their male counterparts. Many have spoken about this gender-based discrimination and called for change. Let’s take a look back at the time when Aamir Khan commented on the pay disparity.
In an old interview when Aamir was asked about why actresses get paid less than their male counterparts, he opined that the disparity has nothing to do with gender. He stated that an actor is paid his/her remuneration based on their ability to attract audiences and generate revenue for films, rather than gender. He also stated that heroines work hard, but so do cameramen and light boys.
“See, in films, the fact of the matter is that your fee is connected to your ability to fill the theater. Now, yes, heroines work very hard, but so do cameramen. So do the light boys on set. All of us should be paid equally. Everyone works hard.”

When the interviewer asked the Bollywood superstar if he is comparing a heroine to a light boy, he says, “No, I’m comparing the heroine and the light boy and myself.” He also expressed that everybody is working hard, but paid differently because the market forces understand the ability of what one can bring back in terms of money. He was also sitting in the company of Rani Mukherji and Kareena Kapoor Khan. “If Rani can fill in more seats than I can, 101 percent she will be paid more than me,” he said. He also expressed that the disparity has nothing to do with the gender, it is all based on the actor’s ability to pull people to the theatres.