Saif Ali Khan On Pay Disparity: 'If The Actors Are Of Equal Stature, They Should Be Paid Same Amount'

The discussion and debate around pay disparity in the film industry have been going on since years now. Several actors, especially the females have opened up about the pay gap in Bollywood. Actor Saif Ali Khan is the latest to weigh in on the pay disparity, saying that actors who pull the audiences to theatres has higher fee.

Saif Ali Khan on pay disparity

Saif recently appeared on the podcast hosted by his sister Soha Ali Khan on her YouTube channel. He was also joined by his brother-in-law actor Kunal Kemmu.

Both agreed that an actor's remuneration is influenced by box office performance and audience's demand.

The Sacred Games actor said that actors at the same level in the industry should receive equal pay. "If the actors are of equal stature, they should be paid the same amount. But I also feel the economics work in a certain way. If you are putting people in seats in the theatre, you get paid accordingly. Everyone understands that relationship," he said.

He added, "It's not like just because you are a certain gender, you deserve to be paid more or less. It's actually a very balanced economic system where people are clear that this person is a superstar because they are filling theatres. They know their worth, charge that price, and get paid."

What Kunal Kemmu said about pay gap

On explaining the maths behind it, Kunal said, "There is a maths to it. This is the mathematical part, not whether a film will work or not - that's a different thing. Earlier, distributors knew that if I have this actor, I can sell a territory for a certain amount of money, and that becomes part of the recovery."

On the professional front, Saif will be seen in Priyadarshan's Haiwaan with Akshay Kumar.