Tejasswi Prakash Says Don’t Blame The System For Pay Disparity, Be Indispensable. That Reeks Of Privilege
Bigg Boss has amped up the careers of several actors and helped them grow professionally. But it has also given a platform to some already established names, Tejasswi Prakash is one of them. After winning Bigg Boss 15, the actress landed a role in Naagin 6. Tejasswi has been winning all of our hearts with her ongoing television serial and thanks to Bigg Boss, we already know how she is as a person. Pay disparity and body-shaming in the entertainment industry has become a hot topic these days and the Bigg Boss 15 winner has opened up about the same. Tejasswi Prakash revealed that she has been body-shamed for being thin and underweight. The actress also shared that she has never faced pay disparity because she is good at what she does.
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Speaking to Etimes TV on the occasion of Women’s Day on Tuesday, the actress revealed that she has done a total of 8 to 9 shows and except for 2 shows, in all the other shows she was paid more than the male lead. She went on to say that one cannot simply blame the system and the gender for the pay disparity while adding that if one is good at what they do, they will be paid whatever is needed to get them on board. Tejasswi Prakash said, “You have to fight not by cribbing but by showing how good you are at your job. So that tomorrow they are paying you your asked money and you are irreplaceable. Become that, get to that stage where you become irreplaceable.” The actress shared that if one becomes irreplaceable then they will get paid more than a man. Pointing out that she is a feminist, the Bigg Boss 15 winner said that instead of simply asking for respect, women should work towards becoming someone people cannot help but love and respect. She also added that she is speaking from personal experience and has never done a corporate job so she does not know much about it.
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Tejasswi Prakash also spoke about being body shamed for being thin and underweight. She revealed that she received negative comments for being underweight and it tempted her to work on her body. The actress shared that people suggested she get external surgeries and corrections to look good. Sharing that she was also tempted to do the same, Tejasswi Prakash said that while she’s not judging anyone who gets cosmetic surgeries, she believed that it’s just an easy way out. The Naagin 6 actress added that she has always been proud of her body and is in love with herself. “I am very confident that this is the way I am. If someone tries to shame me, my body is not going to affect me. Because I know who and what I am. It doesn’t affect me and I don’t think it will ever,” Tejasswi told ETimes TV.
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Tejaswi Prakash also spoke about how women today are great at multitasking and can focus on everyone’s ‘wishes and demand’ and also on their dreams. She added that she herself has been doing it while pointing out that one doesn’t have to give up on their dream because of responsibilities. She shared that she was asked to make a choice back when she was shooting for a daily soap 30 days a month and also studied and completed her engineering at the same time.
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Also Read: Tejasswi Prakash As Sarvasheshta Naagin In ‘Naagin 6’ Promo Has Fans Going Into A Frenzy
Well, TBH, I have so much to say but really all of this just reeks of privilege. Let’s not forget all the other women from the same industry who have spoken about pay disparity. Not everyone is indispensable and it’s not practical for everyone in the world to become irreplaceable but just because someone is replaceable is not an excuse for them to get paid less than their co-stars just because of their gender. And FYI, women are great at multitasking but they should not have to multitask to meet other peoples ‘wishes and demands’. TBH, it’s not okay to compare her working and studying at the same time with a woman who has to work and take care of her house and her family. Tejasswi Prakash comes from a privileged place that allows her to multitask but not everyone has that advantage.
