Priyanka Chopra Earned ‘a Measly 5 Percent’ of Her Co-Star’s Salary in 1 Bollywood Movie
The pay disparity in the film industry isn’t a new subject. Despite the calls for equal gender pay, studios and producers continue paying male leads more. Priyanka Chopra might be a huge name in the industry but noted she earned a fraction of her co-star’s salary for one early Bollywood movie.
Priyanka Chopra started her career as a pageant queen
Chopra started out as a pageant queen gracing several events before her biggest win. The star represented India in the Miss World 2000 pageant and took home the crown. She also became the fourth contestant from India to have won the competition within seven years.
Her title gave her more recognition as Chopra said she began receiving offers to star in films. She first appeared in the 2002 Tamil movie Thamizhan, which was followed by her Bollywood debut, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. She then began making waves due to her acting talents, becoming a box office draw.
Chopra’s U.S. breakthrough came when she starred in FOX’s Quantico as the lead character. The actor made history with her role in the drama as the first South Asian to lead an American network drama series. The role earned her critical acclaim and cemented her as one to watch out for.
Since then, Chopra has bounced between Hollywood and Bollywood, appearing in 2017’s Baywatch alongside Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, and in 2019’s Isn’t It Romantic alongside Rebel Wilson. Chopra’s schedule remains packed with upcoming gigs and a production deal.
Priyanka Chopra was paid 5 percent of her male co-star’s salary in a Bollywood production
Hollywood directors and producers have come under fire numerously for underpaying their female stars. Looking at the stats, it’s easy to see why people are outraged. According to Business Insider, George Clooney was the highest-paid actor in 2018, taking home $239 million. On the other hand, Scarlett Johansson, who also had the same title, earned $198 million less, around $40.5 million.
The issue is the same in Bollywood as, according to Priyanka Chopra (per Buzzfeed), she was paid a “measly 5%” of her male co-star’s salary got for one project. The star said Bollywood producers don’t care about the consequences and openly declare they will pay a male actor more money than his female counterpart.
She elaborated. “A producer-director said to me, ‘Well, you know how it is in these big tent pole movies with the big boys. This is the budget for the girl, and we can’t move beyond that,’ which was like a measly 5% of what the male lead was getting,” the actor shared years later.
Priyanka Chopra has an impressive net worth
Despite being denied what she has, Priyanka Chopra seems to come out ahead. As her Hollywood filmography continues to grow, so does her bank account. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Chopra is worth about $70 million. In 2018, Chopra’s total earnings came in at about $3.5 million.
In 2017, she took home roughly $12 million, and in 2016, she earned $14 million. Her total salary in 2019 was roughly $45 million. Aside from her acting career, Chopra Jonas has partnered with various brands, including Pantene, Lyf Mobile, and recently inked a deal with Bulgari.
