Actress Sudha Chandran’s Tone Deaf Remark Implies That Pay Parity Is Not An Issue. So It’s Okay That Women Are Paid Less?
Over the years, there has been a significant change in our entertainment industries. Bollywood and TV both. Up until a few years ago, it was a very testosterone-driven environment and the women were treated like props. Gender bias exists in every nook and corner when you work in the Bollywood or TV industry, it’s a known fact. Just ask all the actresses who’ve been subjected to the casting couch. Anyway, another problematic phenomenon that is rampantly followed due to the existing gender bias is pay parity. The actors are paid a buttload more than the actresses for the same amount of work. The absence of equal pay is something that multiple actresses have talked about. However, there is one actress, Sudha Chandran, who doesn’t see pay parity as an issue. How can any woman be so thick-headed as to not see just how important equal pay is?
You may know Sudha Chandran from her roles in popular TV serials such as Kaahin Kissii Roz and Naagin. She is one of our TV industry’s most popular faces and has nearly 30 years of experience under her belt. That’s more so why her take on the pay parity that exists in the industry comes as such a shock. Recently, in an interview, Sudha said that the pay gap will always exist but if she is paid according to her capacity and role then it’s not disparity. Her logic makes absolutely no sense.
In the interview, talking about pay parity Sudha Chandran said, “If I am getting paid according to my position and my capacity then why would I consider it as a disparity? Why would I compare my pay to that of someone else?”
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Also Read: Kajol Says She Does Not Pay Attention To Pay Parity. That’s Just…Well, Convenient
I don’t think she has a full understanding of the concept. In general, all across the board, women are paid lesser than men for the same amount of work. What capacity is she talking about? Just because men exist, their capacity doesn’t automatically increase. It just increases their ego and that’s one of the biggest problems here. Why should women, no matter what profession they are in, put in the same amount of time and effort as men for way lesser money? Capacity and position have nothing to do with it.
Sudha Chandran moves on to talk about how young actors need to learn how to manage their finances. She says that it’s sad when they don’t earn enough and then spend whatever they do. She said, “I see boys and girls leaving everything behind, they come and struggle here, and when they don’t get paid that is a sad story. That needs to be dealt with. But if you’re getting paid and don’t know how to save it and you’re going to splurge your money, then the producers are not to be blamed.”
But this isn’t the point, is it? The producers aren’t to be blamed for the actors spending their money too fast but they are to blame if the actresses aren’t making as much money as the actors for the same amount of time. Pay parity is a huge problem in the industry and despite what Sudha Chandran is implying, it’s not about a person’s capacity or how much of their paycheck they save. It’s about not being paid enough because of your gender.
Sudha Chandran, please get your facts and logic straight.
https://thehauterfly.com/lifestyle/anjum-chopra-says-a-pay-disparity-between-male-and-female-cricketers-exist-because-women-havent-won-enough-we-think-thats-rubbish/
