Deepika Padukone has been dropped out of consideration for Sanjay Leela Bansali's Baiju Bawra after requesting the same remuneration as her husband, actor Ranveer Singh, who has been cast in the main role.
This means that those wanting to see the Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone duo return for the fourth time in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film following Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani, and Padmaavat will be disappointed.
Deepika has been a vocal advocate for equal pay in the industry. The actress has frequently spoken out against the startling wage discrepancy between male and female Bollywood performers.
Sanjay Leela’s Baiju Bawra is the modern day remake of the 1952 classic of the same name in which Bharat Bhushan and Meena Kumari had played the two leads.
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The plot revolves around Baiju, a teenage musician who challenges Tansen, a famed maestro in Mughal Emperor Akbar's court, to a musical battle in order to revenge his father's murder.
According to Bollywood Hungama, It appears that Deepika desires the same pay as her husband. ‘Not a penny more, not a penny less,’ .Deepika has been a champion for pay parity among actors and actresses, demanding and receiving as much as her leading men in her recent films, but this time in Baiju Bawra, Bhansali has regretfully turned down her request for pay parity, quoted bollywood hungama.
Deepika's next projects include Nag Ashwin's Pan-India film with Prabhas, The Intern remake, Mahabharata, Fighter, '83, Pathan, and Shakun Batra's next.
Deepika has been an outspoken advocate for fair pay for years. Since her performance in Padmaavat, for which she was paid Rs 12 crore, she has been the highest-paid female performer in the business. However, this does not compare to Shah Rukh Khan, the highest-paid male star, who has demanded Rs 100 crore for a film.
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Deepika's comments have cleared the door for many other performers to speak out about how little they get paid, even in films based on their roles.
Kareena Kapoor Khan, who was recently rumoured to have asked Rs 12 crores for her part as Sita, faced a lot of backlash for just requesting what she was due.
Deepika, like many other actors, is now fighting for the right to be paid what they are worth.
