In a recent interview, Raveena Tandon talked about pay disparity in Bollywood in the 90s while she revealed doing 15 films to earn what her male counterparts would earn in one film.
By Krishma Sharma
Updated on Apr 17, 2024 | 03:35 PM IST| 48.9K
Pic Courtesy: Raveena Tandon Instagram
Raveena Tandon is among the most popular actresses in Bollywood. She has been ruling the industry for over three decades with her captivating on-screen presence. Over the years, she has left an indelible mark in the audience’s hearts with her versatile choice of films.
While the actress remains a fan favorite, pay disparity in the film industry has always been a topic of discussion. In a recent interview, Raveena also recalled the times when she had to do 15-20 films to earn as much as her male counterparts were getting paid for one film.
Raveena Tandon talks about huge pay disparity in the 90s
In a recent interview with Jist News, Raveena Tandon spoke extensively about the pay disparity between actors and actresses. Reflecting on the same, the actress mentioned that money wasn’t really good in the 90s period.
She said, “In those days, the money was very, very less, especially the pay disparity between actors and actresses. The male stars got a lot; much, much more. What they would make in one film, I would make in, say 15 films. For women actors… me, personally… actually, I can't speak for everybody, I can't generalize this. I had to do 15-20 films to make as much money as my male counterparts,” Raveena said.
She further reflected on her male co-stars like Aamir Khan and Salman Khan and mentioned that they were doing selective films as opposed to heroines who would be working with several heroes. In an overall scenario, she said money was less in comparison to today’s situation.
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She expressed that the industry has undergone positive transformations, with a notable increase in the number of women entering the workforce. Additionally, she highlighted the heightened awareness regarding pay inequality and equal opportunities.
Furthermore, she emphasized the benefits of a more professional approach, attributing it to the collaboration between film producers and corporate entities.
When Raveena Tandon revealed actresses were made to feel the need to undergo surgeries
In an interview with Zoom earlier this year, the actress had recalled how actresses would often feel the need to undergo surgeries to meet the societal standards of beauty. However, she also mentioned not submitting to such pressures.
She shared, "A lot of female actors felt pressured to go through surgeries, but luckily I didn't have to go through that. There was a point when I was starving myself, and then I realized, that's seriously unhealthy what I'm doing to myself.”
She also mentioned how entities within the media industry would use derogatory terms like "thunder thighs" and "Amazonian body frame" to define actresses in the 90s. She mentioned that while the film industry gave her opportunities, it was the media that subjected her and other actresses to body-shaming.
"There was a lot of body-shaming, and I'll be very honest, the body shaming was not from the industry. Everyone very easily blames the film industry, but the film industry was the one that gave me chances. The media was body-shaming us."
"Editors who were women were busy slu*t-shaming heroines, trying to prove how nasty they're or trying to question anyone's body, face, or hair, and they were like, Oh my God, look at her thunder thighs and Amazonian body frame. These were the terms that the actresses were called at that time. It was sad at that time," Tandon said.
Despite facing such hardships in her career, Raveena credited her parents for being her pillar of strength during the tough period.
On the professional front, Raveena was last seen in Patna Shukkla, a movie backed by Arbaaz Khan.
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