Zeenat Aman On Gender Pay Gap: "It Disappoints Me That Even Today Women..."

The 71-year-old actress joined the social media platform on February 11

Veteran actor Zeenat Aman, who made a debut on Instagram only a few weeks ago, is already the internet's favorite. Her pictures accompanied by anecdotal tales from her younger days in the Bollywood film industry are not only a delight to read but are also highly informative. On Saturday, the celebrated actor took a trip down memory lane and uploaded an old video on her Instagram wall. In her latest post, the actor talks about the gender pay gap, which the actor had to endure despite being the “highest-paid female actor” of her time. The clip featuring Zeenat Aman's rehearsals for her song Laila O Laila from the 1980 film, Qurbani, also showcases the actor giving an interview to Keith Adam from the Australian Broadcasting Commission. In the clip, Zeenat Aman can be heard talking about the film industry, which she thinks is changing for the better and becoming more inclusive of women in roles that are not purely ornamental.

“90 percent of the time, most of the women here are just playing ornamental roles, purely ornamental. They sing and dance and sort of prance around the leading man. That's about it. What I feel is happening now is changes are coming about." the actress can be heard saying, adding that “Women are demanding good roles and refusing to work in films, let's say have participation. They want to do something, they demand something, and they are getting something to do. I think that's exciting. I think women in India should have something to identify with, other than just ornamentation."

At present, though the actor agrees that the film industry has changed drastically and for the better, she still expresses disappointment over the existing wage parity between male and female actors even after 50 years.

"In the late 70s, Keith Adam from the Australian Broadcasting Commission popped by the set of Qurbani, where I was rehearsing for ‘Laila o Laila', and snagged himself an interview. It's been nearly 50 years since this footage was shot, and the industry has changed immensely since. The roles available to women are not just ornamental anymore. What hasn't changed though is the gender pay gap. In my time I was lauded as the “highest paid female actor”, but the disparity in the pay cheque between my male co-stars and myself was so vast it was laughable. The Zeenat you see in this clip was quite certain that half a century would be enough time to even the scales. So it disappoints me that even today women in the film industry don't have wage parity. Women have consistently put in the work, and I think that the onus is now on our men - actors, directors, producers - to ensure that their female co-workers (not just stars) are paid fairly. It seems such a simple and obvious thing, and yet it would be revolutionary if any man did this," read the actors' caption which puts the onus of bringing about a change on the male actors. producers and directors of today. See the full video here.