Pay disparity has long been a topic of debate in the Indian film industry, with actors and filmmakers frequently discussing the difference in earnings between male and female stars. Now, Saif Ali Khan has weighed in on the conversation, stating that an actor’s pay is largely determined by their box-office pull and ability to bring audiences to theatres.
Saif recently appeared alongside his sister Soha Ali Khan on a podcast episode on her YouTube channel, with Kunal Kemmu also joining the conversation. During the discussion, the actors spoke about the ongoing debate around pay disparity in the film industry and explained how remuneration is often driven by economics and audience demand.
Talking about pay parity, Saif shared that actors with a similar level of stardom should ideally be paid equally. However, he also noted that the industry’s pay structure reflects the business realities of cinema.
“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.”
Saif further explained that the system is not designed to favour one gender, but rather mirrors an actor’s market value and box-office draw.
“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.”
During the conversation, Kunal elaborated on the “maths” behind how actors’ pay cheques are calculated in the film business. According to him, distributors often estimate a film’s recovery prospects based on the star power attached to a project.
“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,” he said.
On the work front, Saif Ali Khan will next be seen in Netflix’s period drama Hum Hindustani, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes story of India’s first democratic election. The film also stars Pratik Gandhi and is directed by Rahul Dholakia. The release date for the project is yet to be announced.
He also has Priyadarshan’s upcoming film Haiwaan in the pipeline, co-starring Akshay Kumar. The film has completed shooting and is awaiting its release date.
Saif was last seen in Netflix’s film Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins, which premiered last year.
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