Kriti Sanon: Right now is the best time to be a woman in Bollywood

She made her Bollywood debut with the 2014 film Heropanti. But it took her three years to make people sit and take notice of her talent. The 29-year-old actress surprised everyone with her small-town girl act in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's Bareilly Ki Barfi. And since then, there has been no looking back for the actress who entered Bollywood without a Godfather.

On Day 2 of India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019, Kriti Sanon opened up on pay disparity and gender bias in Bollywood in a session titled #iFeelYouGirl: On liberty, equality & creativity. And expanding space to be a woman in Bollywood.

ON BEING A WOMAN IN FILM INDUSTRY

Being an outsider, I am slowly getting more comfortable in Bollywood. It is the best time to be a woman in the film industry as so many meatier parts are written for women. There are so many films which revolve around a female protagonist that are doing well at the box office. That are making the producers more confident to make more such films. There have been many examples. Today, women are also being a little more selfish. They are craving for meatier roles.They are wanting to do some more than doing four scenes and two songs and being happy about it. I'm glad that change is happening. Cinema is changing right now completely. The audience has become way too smart. They want to see something interesting, entertaining, worthwhile their time and worth the money they are putting into buying tickets.

I was just reading that very long back when Dada Sahab Phalke made the first film, he was not able to find actresses because it was sort of looked down upon. So men played female characters. They dressed up as women and played their roles. So if you see from there to now, we have come a long way. But I genuinely feel that there's so much more to do and there's so much more to go for.

ON ACTRESSES GETTING EQUAL CREDIT AS ACTORS

I did get a lot of credit for Luka Chuppi. The interview I gave was not about a particular film. I was asked how do you feel when a reviewer writes a paragraph on male actors and just about good looks about actresses. And this has happened to me around Raabta. Some of the reviews mentioned only about Sushant [Singh Rajput] and Jim [Sarbh], and forgot about me.

It began with a headline that a website was carrying. Mr Bachchan's Badla and Kartik's Luka Chuppi fared well. That's when Taapsee said actresses have also worked equally hard and their names should also be mentioned.

ON EQUALITY AND PAY DISPARITY IN BOLLYWOOD

I feel things are changing a lot. Better roles are being written for women. Treatment wise also, things are changing. Women are standing up for themselves, and wanting to prove themselves. But some instances do make you feel that patriachy still exists.

Pay disparity still very much exists. The remuneration should be paid on the basis of how much you do [your part] in a film and also the number of audience you are able to pull into the theatre. If your actors - male and female have same amount the role, the payment difference would be four times. If the popularity of te male actor is much, the difference would be ten times. That gap, I cannot understand. I understand the gap being there. Female-orineted films do not pull in that much audience, but it is changing. There is a Piku, Queen, Raazi. There have been films around female characters and have also made money. But the remuneration gap is not changing that much. Women need to start to take a stand.

ON GENDER BIAS

Only once I have faced little bit here and there. I was working with an actor who wasn't a bigger actor than me, and he was given a better car than me. You don't feel it otherwise, but you are shown the difference.

During the promotion of a film, we were given a room in a hotel. It was a small room for team and all the costumes. The next day we arrive earlier, we get a bigger role. And in sometime, male actor's team came and said that 'unhone aapko hamara room de diya hai'. But I didn't budge and said that we have already settled down. Only when you value yourself, people will value you.

ON LOVE LIFE

You can always make time for love. If you can't, your life is sad. Work should be a part of life, not your entire life. I value relationsips - my family, friends and a special one, though there is no one right now.

Love is not complicated, people are. We are humans. We overthink. When you are genuinely in love, you will make time. If you are not, you will make excuses.

ON HER IDEAL GUY

Ideal guy doesn't exist. I look for an organic connect. Something which is not explanable. Love should not have a reason because that reason can always vanish. You should love the person for who he is. Loyalty is something I really look for. It is also somethinng which is rare to find. I want a man with a good sense of humour. He can have conversations with me. Someone with whom I can not do anything and still feel comfortable. I am not a matersialistic person. Genuine efforts matter. Little things you do.

I would be okay making the first move. Though, I would wnat him to make the first move.

ON WOMEN BEING STEREOTYPED IN CINEMA

To each his own. As actors, we are entertainers. We feel like being a part of project that is good enough for us. Katrina Kaif saw something in Thugs of Hindostan. If she feels like it, it's her choice. There is nothing wrong in it. Personally, I crave to do something new. I would still do Aao kabhi haveli pe in Stree. I love dancing. I am fine even doing dance numbers that don't make me feel degraded. I won't do anything that feels sleazy. I don't want to restrict myself. If you are making a difference even with 5 scenes in a film, then I would do it.

ON #METOO

I don't think it was a social media campaign. I am glad that we spoke about it. It takes a lot of guts for a woman or man to talk about it in public. I don't know if has become a safer place, but there is this fear now that anybody who thinks about crossing that line, would have to pay the price for it. Unfortunately, the cases that come up are 'he said and she said'. They are not recorded, so how much can you do in terms of getting justice. But I am glad that there is fear now.

ON UPCOMING PROJECTS

Housefull 4 is releasing this Diwali. The promos will be out in a few days. Next, I have Ashutosh Gowariker's Panipat with Arjun Kapoor. It is my firts period film. I am playing a Maharashtrian girl. Also, there is another very very special film that I have signed and I Am going to be starting soon - Mimi. It is on surrogacy.

FULL COVERAGE: INDIA TODAY CONCLAVE MUMBAI 2019

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