For first time in 22 years, Priyanka Chopra receives equal pay as her male counterpart

A few days ago, while promoting her latest series, Citadel, the OG desi girl revealed that it was the first time in her 22-year career that she received equal pay as her male counterpart. The fight for equal pay within and beyond the industry has been a long-drawn battle for women for years with little success. Chopra’s revelation comes as a sigh of relief in the ongoing struggle.

In conversation with Amazon Studios head Jenifer Salke at the South by Southwest Film Festival, Chopra said, “I might get into trouble for (saying this), depending on who's watching. "I've worked in the entertainment industry for 22 years across 70-plus features and two TV shows, but I had pay parity only when I worked on Citadel."

"I'm laughing about this, but it's kind of nuts; I put in the same amount of investment and work, but I get paid much less. But the ease with which Amazon Studios said, 'That's what you deserve, you are co-leads, that's just fair', and I was like, 'You're right, it's fair'. And I wonder: Did that happen because there are very few female decision-makers in Hollywood? Would that have been a different conversation if a woman didn't make that decision? Those are not conversations that happened very easily,” she added.

In response, Salke admitted that she couldn’t comment on this had someone else been in charge but was grateful for a team of male and female allies who supported the decision.

Besides Chopra, celebrities like Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and Chadwick Boseman have advocated equal pay in Hollywood. In India, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, and Kareena Kapoor, among many others have also been vocal about the need for equal pay. On an episode of Koffee with Karan, Sonam Kapoor had said, “The pay gap is ridiculous. I can stand up to it, but then I don’t get those roles, and I’m okay with that. I can afford to do that. I realised over the past two or three years that I have no right to judge anybody. I’m privileged, so making difficult choices isn’t really f**king difficult. I think it is about time, as women, as actors, as artists we get our due."

We’re in definitive agreement. During another interview, speaking about the unequal pay in Bollywood, Priyanka Chopra had said, “I’ve been told straight up, if it’s a female role in a movie with big, male actors attached, your worth is not really considered as much.”

For years we’ve admired Chopra’s candour, confidence, and courage to speak up about issues that truly matter. Her voice gives the platform and encouragement to many others around the world to do the same.

Citadel, starring Priyanka Chopra-Jonas and Richard Madden is one of the biggest, upcoming spy-thriller produced by the Russo Brothers. Chopra plays the character of Nadia, who she described as: “Nadia is a complex woman. She bears the weight of the world—as most women do. She doesn't like to show her real feelings and weaknesses. She's the toughest one in the room. She's always the one making decisions, making sure everyone gets home safe. And then you see her vulnerabilities when she's alone and I felt the burden of her character. It was just so much fun for me to chew into."