Exclusive: Sanaya Irani: “I Was Denied Equal Pay For A Very Successful Show, I Walked Out”

Sanaya Irani, a prominent figure in the Indian television industry, known for her roles in Miley Jab Hum Tum and Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon, recently shared her experiences with pay disparity in an exclusive interview on Hauterrfly’s The Male Feminist. Despite the significant roles women play in TV series, Sanaya revealed that male leads often receive higher compensation, a practice she has personally challenged and found deeply unjust.

Sanaya Irani On Facing Pay Disparity

During the interview, Sanaya discussed the pervasive issue of pay parity in the industry. She pointed out that even though shows are prominently centred around female leads, and despite women putting in long hours on set delivering dialogues, enduring emotional scenes, and frequent costume changes, their male counterparts still tend to earn more. “I have felt pay parity,” she stated, illustrating her point with personal anecdotes from her career. “Aj tak ye logic samjh nhi aaya, even if the man is on set for 12 hours there are scenes that he will not be there, he still gets paid more.”

Sanaya shared a specific instance when she pushed for equal pay alongside her male co-star for a successful show that was being revamped. Despite her significant contribution to the show’s success, her request was outright denied. “They said it couldn’t be done, and I was taken aback,” she explained, highlighting the frustrating response that many women in the industry receive when they advocate for fairness.

Also Read: Sanaya Irani Recalls Being Called ‘White Cockroach’, ‘Lizard’ For Being Too Fair. There Is Just No Winning Here.

Sanaya Irani On Mile Jab Hum Tum And Mohit Sehgal

The actress also opened up about the support she received from her husband, Mohit Sehgal, who co-starred with her in “Miley Jab Hum Tum.” Mohit played a crucial role in advocating for equal pay during their time on the show. As their contracts were renewed over the years, Mohit’s salary approached and eventually surpassed Sanaya’s, despite her having more industry experience initially. Aware of the disparity, Mohit encouraged Sanaya to renegotiate her contract. “He insisted that we should all be paid equally, emphasizing that the show wouldn’t succeed without any one of us,” Sanaya shared.

This collective effort led to a rare but significant victory in pay equity within the television industry. The production house, Endemol, agreed to match her pay to that of her co-stars without further dispute.