Sara Ali Khan has been on a roll since she debuted with Sushant Singh Rajput in Kedarnath. She has teamed up with Kartik Aaryan for Imtiaz Ali’s next.
Now, in a conversation with Barkha Dutt as part of “We The Women” summit held in Bangalore, Sara opened up about pay disparity in Bollywood, struggling with the pressure of looking a certain way, older heroes romancing young heroines and more. When asked why heroes have a longer shelf life in the industry, she said, “The audience wants older heroes to romance daughters of the heroines they used to work with. It is not fair to blame the heroes alone. When the viewers say that they don’t want to see the hero for the 96th time, maybe they won’t do such roles. Good movies like Padmaavat or Raazi should be appreciated more,” she said.
The actor also said that though gender stereotypes and discrimination do exist in the industry we shouldn’t just blame the filmmakers. “I guess that because of the way I have grown up I am not a victim. I also recognise the fact that our society can have a regressive view of women. It starts from mothers preferring sons to daughters. Change must begin in the family,” Sara added.
“The audience wants older heroes to romance daughters of the heroines they used to work with. It is not fair to blame the heroes alone. When the viewers say that they don’t want to see the hero for the 96th time, maybe they won’t do such roles.”Sara Ali Khan, Actor
She also stated that equal opportunity and pay are bigger issues that need immediate attention. “However, you can’t compare two roles as they are never the same. I am a newcomer and I am not paid as much as Ranveer Singh or Varun Dhawan. Our roles cannot be compared. Maybe if I deliver punches or do stunts I will be paid more,” she said.
Sara also spoke about dealing with body-shaming. In a society that is obsessed with skin colour and “perfect” body types, the best way to tackle racism and body-shaming is to shield yourself from negativity, says Sara.
“I weighed around 96 kgs. There is a pressure to look a certain way. It can affect your confidence when people are rude. A practical way is to not worry about what others say about you. Let people talk. You can change yourself and shield yourself from negativity. The world will not change,” she said.
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